Beyond the Human's Genes
by CathAstrophik
Summary: Corrected version and rated M for language. Kim Desjardins is thrown in a dark world where a conflict exists between Coordinators and Naturals. She developps numerous friendships and create her own path in the Bloody Valentine war. Will her love and emotions keep her from doing her part in the conflit or will Yzak Joule, a silver haired Coordinator, help her through her nightmares?
1. Phase 1

I looked at the stars through the window of my cabin and thought about the consequences of the war. The Coordinators don't have a reason to push us off this world_. _It is ours and it will belong to everyone. I thought absently, sinking in sorrow. I looked at the black uniform I was wearing and locked on the logo on my chest. I don't think I'll ever get used to it...I hate this stupid uniform. I let my body wander in the room, walking stressfully. The white boots I was wearing made a squeaking noise that ultimately got on my nerve. I sat on my bed and rested on my back for a while. I closed my eyes and remembered.

_Heavy snow feel on my head as I looked at the bloody ground. My parents were lying on the ground, dead. I touched my mother's forehead with my tiny white hand and it felt cold. Tears escaped my green eyes and I looked at the horizon. I saw something huge, an enormous metal man with a blue sword. It was so big I had to push my head far back to see its head. Its shiny blue eyes looked at me and it walked to me slowly. My red coat was soaked in blood and my hands were cold. I was freezing, but I stayed silent, my mouth opened in awe before that amazing machine. I hovered to me and landed in a heavy blow. I blocked the rocks from hitting my face, but the wind pushed me in the air and I fell on my back. I looked at the grey sky and wept in silence. Smoke covered the beautiful blue sky and I closed my eyes. __**I am going to die here, like my parents... Maybe if I don't move, it will hurt less.**__ I thought. I looked besides me and I saw that monstrous machine kneeling to me. The cockpit opened and a tall man got out of it and he descended from that machine with only a cord attached to him. He gracefully landed on his feet and walked towards me. I opened my eyes wider to see his face. The man stopped beside me, kneeled and simply said:_

"_It's cold here, isn't it?" I nodded silently. He patted my head and turned his head towards my parents' bodies. "What happened here?" he asked calmly. I tried to avoid crying, but I understood it was impossible for a mere seven year old to do so when she witnessed her parent's murder._

"_Some strange man came in red uniforms and they killed mommy and daddy with guns..." I said in French, weeping. The man took my hand and I looked deep into his blue eyes._

"_Don't cry anymore. I will take care of you, now." Was all he said. He took my hand and we walked towards his machine. I looked up to face his metal monster and I looked behind me, back to my parents._

"_It's not like you have a choice here, girl. Do you want to die?" I shook my head and he smiled._

"_Do you understand what I am saying to you?" I nodded. I always understood English, but I never spoken the language._

"_You'll have to learn English if you're to come with me." I nodded and opened my mouth, but closed it immediately._

"_What were you about to say, girl?" I opened my mouth hesitantly once again and simple words came out of it._

"_What is...machine?" I said, pointing at his enormous possession. He smirked and looked at me._

"_It is called a GUNDAM. Code name X120-09, it's GUNDAM Vengeance." I ran to the metal machine and stared at it. The man put a hand on my shoulder and asked me what my name was. I didn't answer._

"_Maybe I should tell mine first. Commander Charles DuFlamme is what you'll call me." I pointed at myself and said: "Kim." We shook hands like adults and he took the cord in his right hand and put a foot on the little platform attached to it. He handed me his hand and I hesitated. "Come with me and you'll get to ride one of these one day, I promise." I have made my mind. I would follow this man until the end of time. I gripped his hand firmly and we elevated in the sky, re-joining the cockpit. I looked back one more time and I waved goodbye to my parents, letting a tear fall on my cheek. We got in the cockpit and he made me sit in the back, on a little blanket he had put there. He sat in his seat and pushed a red button and the machine moved. On the screen, it was written in big letters GUNDAM and other stuff I couldn't read. The complexity of this machine was astounding and I was simply content to sit and look at it. I just looked at the symbols on the monitor and the machine hovered slowly._

"_Don't be scared, we're going home now. It might be a little rough, so don't worry… I have to protect both of us, now. We don't want ending up killed by those mean people, right?" I nodded and stayed silent for a while, still looking at the computer. I knew the man had a strange accent, much like Englishmen, not like Americans. Suddenly, I saw a red spot on the 3D map, next to the screen. My eyes immediately locked onto it._

"_Looks like we already have company, Kim. You stay calm while I take care of these, alright?" I nodded and smiled. The Commander smiled back and something placed itself in front of the man's face, making him even more powerful with his shots. I would later learn that it was a visibility enhancer. Green beams were shot from the Vengeance and the other mobile suits exploded in dark clouds of smoke. I looked at the monitor and concentrated on the red spots that had appeared on it. There were so many! I tried to establish a map in my head of all the red dots and tried to link them together. The Commander saw me looking straight at the rotating map._

"_Do you understand what you see?" he said calmly. I nodded and pointed one dot in particular._

"_This one...middle is one that is attack first because others placed themselves in protective mode." I said with a lot of difficulty. He nodded and shot the one in the middle and the others dispersed rapidly, not knowing what to do since the leader was obviously dead. To put it simple, they were just backing up the front machine. Now that their plan was messed up, they had no idea what to do. Some scattered in the sky and others retreated._

"_Good move, kid." Was all he said to me. I smiled to him and he press on the lever he was holding. Three buttons were on that handle: a red one, a green one and a blue one. He pressed the green one and multiples rays of green hit the remaining machines with power. They landed on the ground and exploded. The Commander was breathing normally again and turned to face me._

"_Maybe you have what it takes to ride a GUNDAM. You're a weird child; I'll give you that… You can easily read the enemies attacks, yet you're a just a little Natural girl..." He was in deep thinking, which I could tell. His eyes focused on one point and his forehead was bent in a deep frown. I gave him a puzzled look and he laughed._

"_It means your mother gave birth to you naturally." I smiled and nodded silently. I couldn't possibly understand what he meant, at that time. I touched one button by accident and a shot of red beams was launched in the air, creating a big explosion. I gasped and apologized several times._

"_You didn't do it on purpose, so it's okay. Make sure you ask me first when you touch a button. That's an order." He said with a smirk on his face. "You have to act like a soldier, now. For both of us."_

_I nodded and cried on my blanket. I wasn't crying because I was sad, I was crying because I was scared. What if I had hurt the Commander and damaged the Vengeance...? He would never forgive me to damage such a fine piece of technology! I never missed my mother so much… my poor mother who died not too long ago, her long hair on the red snow. I missed the comfort of my father's embrace and I would never experience it again. It made me realize that the pain of losing my parents could have been greater if their deaths would have been long and agonizing._

"_Why are you crying? You haven't done anything wrong." He said to me, whipping the tears on my face. I smiled and timidly looked at the screen. My eyes widen in fear as I saw in the cockpit's window a machine equipped with a laser sword aiming at us._

_The Commander failed to see it because of me and I jumped on his knees, taking in my hand the lever and pressed the red button. The red beam directly hit the metal man in front of us and I gripped the lever once again, making the Vengeance equip his right hand with a long knife. I looked at the 3D map and the red dots were approaching us fast...maybe too fast for me to remember all the commands. I knew in this instant that something in my head just unblocked. I connected somehow with my surroundings and I knew what to do. I grabbed the other handle and a shield blocked us from the laser shots that were aimed at the Vengeance. I pressed the blue button and a powerful blue beam hit two enemy mobile suits in the guts, making them explode. The Vengeance trembled under the assault and the Commander clicked on another button and pressed with his feet on the speed pedal and the Vengeance took a greater flight in the air, outpacing the mobile suits._

"_Shoot, Kim, shoot!" I pushed the red button and the same red beams shot the rest of the mobile suits. My instinct told me to look behind me and shoot blindly. Glad to see that my reflexes weren't wrong! Another mobile suit was coming our way with a laser sword, but the green beam hit it hard and I didn't miss. The assault stopped and I took a deep breath, relaxing my muscles._

"_You've done a great job, Kim...You're tired. You rest in the back, I will take care of you now..." I closed my eyes, exhausted by the sudden effort that those mobile suits caused me. I could feel the turbulences the battle was causing and I feared for the destruction of the Vengeance. I couldn't open my eyes because I was so tired but I could hear everything and I could feel everything. I knew in that moment that I was born to do this. I would do this until the end of my life and I would protect my savior… I would always be prepared… _I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the alarm ring.

"Kim! There's a problem! We need your help! ZAFT attacked a neutral ship! Get out of here and fight!" Said Sergeant Ruck out on the intercom. I ran to my bedroom door, opened it with a hurry and ran in the corridors of Star-Strike, the_ Division_'s mother ship. I rapidly took the elevator and descended to the third floor, where the Mobile Suits were in storage. I crossed paths with Seth, my backup in the battlefield and he screamed at me.

"Where were you? Did you go deaf or what?" **Give me a break! I've been on patrol all week! Can a girl catch a break around here?**

"Shut up Seth, I don't have time for your complaints." I said calmly, while running with him to the lower grounds. The engineers rushed on finishing the final touches to our equipment and they gave us the signal that we could access our Mobile Suits. I ran the stair to get to that damn machine and jumped in it, like it was a second nature to me. It was the closest thing I had to a home, after all. I started the engine and my mobile suit moved behind Seth's. The wires let go of our machines and it was time to go. The platforms elevated Seth and prepared him to launch. The voice rang in our computer screen. _Preparations done! System all green! _I heard Seth's voice through my monitor saying the usual content:

"Seth Yoshiro, Outpacer, let's go!" His Outpacer was ejected into orbit and I was next.

"_Preparations all done! System all green! Show them! _My mobile suit followed the track and elevated too. It was time for that ultimate sentence that would end up killing me one day:

_"Kim Desjardin, Valliant, I'm taking off!"_ My breathing was faster and I tried to calm myself, but I was ejected from the Star Striker as fast as I had come in. I was projected into the black, the immense space, alongside Seth and the Outpacer.

"Are you stressed out, Kim?" he asked through the communication system.

"Just a bit... Don't worry about me, Seth. So, what does ZAFT want now?"

"They attacked a mother ship by the name of Archangel, an Earth Forces battalion ship...There is only two mobile suits on that unit, so the Captain thought it's be good for our image to show off there with our skills and kick some butts." I smirked at his comment and he laughed.

"Let's go Seth, they're in trouble." I was the one with a head on this team."Yes!"

Both the Outpacer and the Valliant went at the speed of light through the debris of the previous fight in that area. We couldn't see anything due to the lack of light so we putted on our mobile suits in radar mode. We were guided by the arrays of lights far away, which must be the battle between ZAFT and that so-called Archangel ship.

"Seth, I'm counting on you again. I'll protect you, just don't let me down."

"Never, Kim. You're too much of a good friend for that to happen!" He said, smiling.

**"**Thank you..." He had always been so supportive of me and my choices and thus it was the only thing to say.

"We better hurry up! I don't want to see any more deaths today!" said the enthusiastic teen. I rolled my eyes, knowing I had no choice either. We put our mobile suits on high gear and dashed through space, the light in the horizon getting clearer by the second. I prepared my laser sword and put it in the Valliant's right hand. A shot of green almost hit Seth in the face, but he evaded at the last minute and I glared at him mentally.

"Watch out, Seth! You almost got that one right in your teeth!"

"Yeah! Yeah! I was just napping a bit...They never let us rest, do they?"

"Nope, never. But it's our duty to be alert whenever they need us, Seth, so move your ass!" He laughed and nodded happily. That Seth was just so much fun even thought I was not in the mood for a laugh. He always made me happy whenever something was wrong. Suddenly, we saw through the window of our cockpits four mobile suits fighting a mobile armor and a white GUNDAM mobile suit. They seemed in difficulty with the armor releasing a dark grey smoke from its left wing.

"Seth, backup the mobile armor! I'll take care of the mobile suit!" I said to him. He nodded silently and we separated our ways. If my radar and vision was correct, there were four other mobile suits attacking the mother ship and both the armor and mobile suit. I pressed the blue button on my left handle and a powerful nuclear beam shocked a red mobile suit. It turned around and I flew past him at the speed of light. Passing the three others, I approached the Archangel and flew behind it to make sure it wasn't damaged severely. I put the communication on and I could hear the confusion of the other pilots around me.

"Who is that? Wait, _there are __**two**__ of them_?" said the first voice.

"Calm down Yzak, you have to keep your head cool here." Said a second voice, only putting oil on the fire.

"**Shut up**, Dearka! Let's get the bastards **right now**!" said the man named Yzak. While they were fighting, I flew the Valliant to the white mobile suit and established a radio communication. I spoke through my helmet with a sure voice.

"My name is Kim Desjardins, I am here to back you up. What's your name, pilot?" It took a while for the pilot to contact me, but I finally heard a voice in my helmet.

"My name is Kira Yamato...! I'm the pilot of the Strike!" was all he said. I had to establish a communication with the Archangel before I went out there and fight. I looked in the distance and I saw Seth, very subtitle, carrying the armor pilot into the Outpacer. I linked the Valliant communication system with the Archangel's and I spoke.

"My name is Kim Desjardin! I am from the_ Division, _here to help your troops! My subordinate and I will protect both your pilots and the Archangel, if you have no objections. Sorry, got to fly!" I cut the communication with their mother ship and flew back to the battlefield, siding with that boy, Kira Yamato and his mobile, the Strike. I gave him a quick glance through the window of my cockpit and dashed to the other mobile suits, Seth backing me up, as usual.

"Let's get them, Kim! It's time we act tough. Well, I say that for you...of course!"

"Seth, behind you!" I screamed. He blocked the laser attack of that boy, Yzak's mobile suit. I breathed and looked around me. My instincts suddenly told me to attack from behind. I knew that sixth sense was very reliable since it never did mistrust me. I was right on the spot yet again! A black mobile suit was flying directly to me and I shielded the attack with my thick special shield. Someone was trying to establish a communication with me, but it was hard to handle elite and talk with someone!

"Pilot of the indigo mobile suit! Answer me right now!" I pushed back the black mobile suit and answered.

"Tell your teammate to stop attacking me and I'll agree to talk to you, pilot." I heard another voice telling to the pilot of the black mobile suit, who was named Nichol, to retreat from his attacks towards me.

"I have done what you asked for, now answer my question! Who are you and what is your purpose here?" said the masculine voice coming from the red mobile suit. I ran an analysis on his mobile suit, which is named Aegis.

"Pilot of the Aegis, you must be the leader of this operation. My name is Kim Desjardin from the _Division_ and I came here for backups with my ally, the pilot of the Outpacer, Seth Yoshiro to protect the assaulted Archangel and the Strike! I suggest you leave this place before..." I stopped my sentence half way through because I thought they would understand the meaning of my threat, but then again I have been surprised many times before.

"And before what, Kim Desjardin? What will you do?" said Yzak, obviously pissed.

"… Before you meet your doom." I finally said. I could hear a laugh in my monitor. I looked to my right and saw another mobile suit. It was green and beige and had three big powerful laser guns. It was in defense mode and the pilot established a communication with me.

"Honey, I don't think that's possible..." I glared at his machine and simply said.

"Don't you dare tell me what's possible and what is not!"

"Sorry, honey. Are you sure you're not part of the Earth Forces? If you aren't, I see no reason to shoot you down. Besides, you really have a cute accent, are you Spanish or something?" His comments annoyed me and I broke the communication. I threw a last warning to the ZAFT soldiers and if they weren't going to listen to me, I would have no choice.

"This is the last time I repeat myself, Z.A.F.T. soldiers. I will not fall in the hands of you Coordinators. The world is not going to fall to you. I will not let that happen for anything in the whole wide universe. Be prepared to lose when we start the assault! You have been warned!"

"Kim, let's go. They won't listen. Let's protect that ship and go back to the Star Strike!" said Seth, charging at the Duel, Yzak's mobile suit. He unleashed his laser sword and the combat began seriously. Yzak didn't see it coming and got his shield ripped off. He swore under his breath and the Duel got out a green laser beam and began shooting in Seth's direction. The black mobile suit that attacked me earlier went to back the Duel up and I dashed to him, hitting with the Valliant's fist behind Nichol's mobile suit head. It destabilized him and I took out my sniper gun, shooting in vital places such as legs and arms of his mobile suit.

"You won't get to that damn ship, ZAFT soldiers!" I got out my laser blade and slashed Nichol's mobile suit's arm off. Athrun and the Aegis came flying to me, sending me its shield as a throwing weapon, but he missed and the shield returned to him like a boomerang. The Buster waited long enough behind me and shot a deadly beam in my direction. I looked back and back flipped the Valliant, now upside down, evading the mortal blow. My heart was beating faster and my hands were getting wet from the anxiety. I tried to fly closer from the Archangel, but the Aegis stepped in my way. From my right, I saw Nichol retreating and I heard Yzak shout:

"Where's Nichol going? **We're not done here**!"

"He was almost shot down, Yzak! Another hit from that Valliant mobile suit and he was fried, don't you get it?" said Athrun, angrily. Yzak shot a green laser beam at the Outpacer, but obviously Seth was playing with him, which seemed to infuriate Yzak even more.

"Get back here and attack like a man, god damn it!" They chased after each other, but the Outpacer was a fast mobile suit and the Duel couldn't match its speed at all. I could almost hear Seth laughing in joy from this battle. He was a very good pilot with a similar past than me. He evaded every attack that the Duel sent him and was doing circles around the battlefield, checking if the Archangel was all right. The Strike, on the other hand, had some difficulty stopping the Buster. I could sense he was a beginner at this so I flew to him and charged with all my strength to the Buster. I arrived from the back and knocked its head off, letting it hover in space.

"Dearka, are you alright?" screamed Athrun. Dearka's voice seemed a bit rough, but he answered.

"I got to retreat too, Athrun...! If I take more damage, I'll end up dead and a dead solider is no use in the military. Get back too, Athrun! We tried our best, but this mission is a failure." The Buster flew far away, followed by the Aegis. Seth and the Outpacer re-joined me and Kira and we all heard through our monitor: "Preparations has been made for your getting back, Kira. We wish that the two ally mobile suits follow him. The captain wishes to talk to you."

"Is this a good idea, Seth? What if it's a trap?" he laughed and followed Kira into the mother ship. I sighed and shook my head in disbelief. **Why do I have to be in this mess? **I followed Seth and Kira in the hangar of the Archangel and we three landed one after one. Seth and I got out of our cockpits at the same time, landing on the floor with shaking feet. The pilot of the armor was directed to the first aid room, not far from here. We kept our helmet on, keeping them from seeing our face. The head mechanic had a puzzled look on his face, the same as the rest of the mechanic crew. Kira got off his helmet and his brown hair was let loose. He looked at us with his kind indigo eyes and said to us:

"Follow me, I'll bring you to the Captain right away." His voice seemed sincere and Seth immediately followed him. I had no choice but to tail Seth's shadow. We took the elevator and we got to the fifth floor of the ship. Kira seemed hesitant at first to talk to me since I didn't even look at him from the start, but took his courage and finally asked.

"Are you going to get your helmet off? After all, you saved my life out there, Kim." I shook my head and sighed.

"I can't until I see your captain. Sorry Kira." Seth nudged my arm and whispered to my ear:

"What are you _doing_, Kim? He's not an enemy! Why do you have to keep us secret?"

"Because I am your Commander Seth and _don't_ make me act like one for once and punish your carefree actions." That seemed to shut him up and we all kept the dead silence. Then, the sliding doors opened and we got into the Archangel's cockpit floor. Everyone turned around to see us and Kira smiled.

"Here they are, captain. Can I go rest, if it's possible?" The woman captain smiled at him and nodded. Kira disappeared behind the sliding door, leaving us in front of her. She looked at us and handed her hand.

"My name is Murrue Ramius. I'm the captain of the Archangel and I thank you from all of us for your heroic actions… It's okay; we're not going to ambush you so you can take your helmets off." Seth sighed of joy and got his black helmet off. His striking blond hair and blue deep blue eyes greeted the captain cheerfully. He shook her hand and presented himself.

"My name is Seth Yoshiro. I am the pilot of the Outpacer. Here is my _Commander_ Kim Desjardin, pilot of the Valliant." He said, insisting on the word commander. I guess I had no choice but to get my helmet off too. I expected a surprised look on their faces for I was a rare sight.

"You're a _Commander_? But...you're so young...!" said Captain Ramius in amazement. I sighed and shook her hand too. I looked around me and saw a girl my age. I smiled at her and I looked at Seth and the sliding doors opened, letting a tall man with dirty blond hair and royal blue eyes appear.

"Ah! There they are! I lost those two when I went to the medic room to get my head fixed!" said the man, obviously surprised. I sighed and crossed my arms. I was trying to understand the situation, but I guess it's couldn't be helped. Seth saluted him and the man saluted him back.

"Thanks kid for helping me back there...I guess I owe you one." Said the armor pilot.

"That was part of my assignment. I completed my mission, nothing else, sir. I'm glad you're alive."

"Commander La Flaga, I wish to present you the Outpacer's pilot, Seth Yoshiro and the Valliant's pilot, Commander Kim Desjardin." Said Captain Ramius, saluting him. I hated the military because everything was so formal all the time. The salutation, the presentation...it was so stupid and really good for nothing. Mu smiled to me and gave me a wink. I frowned and cleared my throat.

"Nice job out there, Commander Desjardin. You really showed them good." I nodded and excused myself. Seth stayed there to talk with Commander La Flaga and the rest of the piloting crew. The sliding doors opened and closed behind me. I pressed the "down" button on the elevator and pressed the fourth floor. Seconds later, the elevator doors opened on a long stretched corridor and I stepped out. **Where...am I? I'm all messed up with the floors! Where did I land, exactly?**

I slowly hovered around and looked from right to left. I opened one door and looked inside the room. It was a bedroom and someone was sleeping on the main bed. That person was a girl and she had long raspberry hair. She was muttering in her sleep some strange words. **She is having a bad dream, obviously...Should I wake her up or let her be? Ah man...What a drag! **I tried to wake her up with a little clap on the shoulder, but she wouldn't bulge. She kept trashing about and I tried to wake her up with my voice instead of continuously hitting her.

"Please wake up... You're having a bad dream...!" Her dream was getting much more violent from the looks of it and her hands were now searching about, trying to grab some objet to hit. I took her hands, but she got them away and slapped me in the process. She woke up in sweats after hitting me and I seized her arms and pinned her down on her front body side and got on her back, trying to immobilize her.

"Kira! Kira! Help me, Kira!" I remembered the face of that boy, Kira. She was now raging with fear and pain and squirmed under my weight, trying to let me go of her. Instead, she made me lose patience and I pinned her down even tighter, making her back arch in pain.

"I don't want to hurt you! Stop moving or else I'll have to do so!" But the girl punched me in the face, surprising me so I let her go. My lips turned red and a fine line of blood ran down my chin.

"What are you doing, Commander Desjardin?" said Kira out of breath, opening the sliding door to face the girl and I. She got up trembling and ran to the teenage boy. "She...she attacked me!"

I rolled my eyes, sighed and whipped off the blood on my face. "Calm down, Jesus Christ! I just wanted to wake you up because you were having a bad dream. It's not like you could put up a fight, anyway." I saluted Kira and angrily left the room, rampaging my own way in the corridor. I heard Seth laughing with the others teenager group in the adjacent room, telling false stories about his heroic actions in the battlefield. I opened the door and everyone looked at me with happy faces, but I couldn't give them back the feeling.

"We're leaving, Seth. Be in the hangar in five minutes."

"But, why? Kim, what happened to your face? Who did that to you?" screamed Seth, surprised.

"Don't bother because I said we're leaving. I'll go and salute the captain while you go and prepare the mobile suits."

"...Right. I'll see you in five." He said, running out of the room, leaving those young people speechless. I saluted them quickly and walked out of the room, hovering with my right hand on the wall to keep balance. I looked at my watch and pressed the red button. The electronic device was now on speaker mode and I talked in a very formal voice into the intercom:

"Star Strike, I am sorry we're late. We ran into...a distraction along the way." A couple of seconds later, a rusty voice could be heard in the corridor. Commander Ruck was very pissed about our situation.

_What the hell happened, Kim? I want you back here immediately, do I make myself clear? What if we're attacked while you're away? ZAFT is not far from our location! Come back to protect the ship!_

"Yes, Commander. Seth and I are going now." I closed the communication and I heard a chuckling voice behind me. I turned around to face the tall Mu La Flaga. I quickly saluted him, apologizing for my commander. "I guess you have to go. It can't be helped, now can it?"

"No, Commander. It's been nice meeting you all. If you ever need assistance, look for me and I shall be there." I said, giving our distress radio signal code. He accepted it with joy and saluted me.

"I have to go now." I said, leaving him alone in the corridor, descending in the elevator at the hangar level. I got out running in the enormous storage room. The mechanic team wasn't done preparing the Valliant and Seth was arguing with the mechanic chief.

"_We can't let you out yet!_ The preparations aren't done and the damage hasn't fully been fixed!"

"I don't care, if you don't let us go, it'll be like you're keeping us hostages and this, my friend, is going to be the death of you!" I ran to Seth and gripped his shoulders. "What the **hell** are you saying? We don't want them as **enemies**, _idiot_! Stop your blabbering and get your ass in your cockpit."

"But they don't want to let us..."

"I don't give a damn, I'll fix this, now do what I say! Commander Ruck is in a hell of a mood and if you want to live long enough to see the end of the war, you better do what I say. You _really_ want to follow my advice!" Something in Seth's face told me he was indeed scared and ran back to the Outpacer, the mobile still attached to wires.

"Miss, you don't understand! I don't want you to die out there, this is dangerous if you go out like this!" I shook my head, saying to him it was impossible for us to stay but he clearly insisted.

"I won't let you out!" I gave him a glare. **Is that a challenge you're giving me, asshole?**

"Listen, you low life! I don't have time for your reasons, we have to go! If you don't let us out, we'll break the ship we protected earlier! If you don't want to be destroyed, let us go!" I took out my gun and pointed it at his forehead. He gave me a frightened look and I understood he would do it.

"Thanks for your comprehension. Now open the gates!" I said, running to the Valliant. I pressed the automatic button on my watch and the cord got down, letting me step on it and ascended into my cockpit. I looked at my right, Seth showing me his thumb, positive about being ready. I started the engine, showing on the monitor _G.U.N.D.A.M_. The gates opened and the Outpacer was put on the moving platform that would expulse us out of the Archangel. Seth was hurried on the platform first and expulsed very quickly.

"_What's happening here?" _Said the captain throughout the hangar, her voice echoing.

I was next to go on the platform. I looked at the mechanic crew from upper level and a guy received orders to close the gates that lead to outer space. I swore under my breath and moved the Valliant out of the wires and cordages. Screams could be heard from all over the hangar as I walked to the gates.

I closed my eyes and made the Valliant hit the gates with at its strength. The door cracked, but didn't open. I punched again but the gates wouldn't budge an inch. I took out my laser sword and slashed my way out of the hangar very quickly, joining Seth in a couple of seconds.

"What kept you, Kim? What happened?" said Seth.

"I had...to force my way out."

"What? _You broke the gates?_ _**Are you fucking mad?"**_

"I had no choice." I finally said after a long silent pause. "Let's go, we put the Star Strike in danger."


	2. Phase 2

But we had no time to act: a loud and furious beam of light shot in the distance, hitting something in its way. There was a huge explosion and a red light appeared before our eyes. Both Seth and I stayed speechless and blinded by the rays from the lightshow, in the distance. We didn't even try to establish a communication with each other. The smoke, even though we we're in space and the empty battlefield were enormous, was elevating very high and the only thing we could do was to watch that horrible scene. We both knew what happened but we never thought they would actually do it on _us_. I closed my eyes and prayed for all the people that had died on that ship, the ship we both knew so well. Seth established the communication but stayed silent against the mike.

"..."

I couldn't say anything either. I wasn't able to open my mouth. The only thing I could do is open my eyes and to close them back, whipping the tears out, letting them roll on my cheeks. The Valliant and the Outpacer were now the only mobile suits existent of the Star Strike, mother ship of the _Division_. Everything had been destroyed: our pasts, our memories and our relationships with the crew… everything was gone. We we're condemned to be lost without an anchor, without any protection and a way to get fuel.My family, my home, my existence just vanished in a loud explosion before my eyes and I couldn't resign myself but to explode into sobs of sorrow. Seth sobbed too, but for me, he tried his best not to in front of his commander. But I wasn't a Commander anymore; I was his equal now and that was the only reason why I permitted myself to cry. I wasn't anything anymore. The Outpacer approached and its hand touched the Valliant's.

"What do we do now, Kim...?" I shook my head to his question.

"We...we have to go to the Headquarters on Earth...We're the only link they had with the Star Strike..."

"But, Kim! What about the Archangel?" **The Archangel...It deserves to be**_** destroyed! **_**They slowed us down! It's **_**their**_** fault! They slowed us down and we couldn't protect the Star Strike!**

"I say we let them die in the hands of those ZAFT soldiers."

"You're not serious, are you? You can't do that, you swore to the _Division_ you'd help the Naturals side and fight the Coordinators! We can't let them die, not after what happened!"

"It's not my problem anymore. I am going on Earth to tell what happened and after that I'll..."

"You'll do what, _exactly_? You won't be able to do anything on Earth because of your remorse! You'll just shut yourself in your home and become a hermit, like you always did back on the Star Strike when something was your fault, when you'd have done something wrong! You would go to your room and sulk for days! Is that what you want to become? Is that how you want to live?"

"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me because I perfectly know it's true myself! I just don't get why you're being so judgmental! I don't know what to do, but I'll find something!" I screamed to him.

"Well, while you're waiting for a divine intervention, I suggest you follow me. We're going to investigate the debris." He said, cutting the communication. He flew to the incident's direction, the Valliant and I on his tail. There was still smoke and a lot of stuff hovering in space, making movements very difficult. What I saw next was totally unexpected: the Star-Strike's hangar was still in function! I guess the beam that hit the Star-Strike shot the mother ship from the right side, because the hangar was on the far left of the ship.

"Seth! There might be survivors! Let's go check the hangar!"

"I know! I'll open the gates for you!"

Seth slowly opened the enormous hanging doors or the remaining of the doors. I held my breath in hope that I would save someone today. Seth finally cut down the remaining pieces and the metal sliding doors hovered, leaving us the passage to the very damaged hangar.

"Kim, go look for anyone that is alive. I'll stay here to prevent the hangar from falling apart."

"Right. Wait here."

I looked around and saw a lot of debris from the impact with the ray beam. It was devastated, but still, it wasn't destroyed. I looked around and gasped. _They took the Vengeance! How dare them! Wait 'till I get my hands on them! The Division won't be happy about this!_

"Seth, they took the Vengeance." He gasped.

"What? They _found_ it?"

"I guess. It's not in the security stall anymore. I think...they came here for it. That's why they came around the Star Strike. They came to steal the GUNDAM Vengeance."

**It makes sense, actually. They had no reason to attack us unless they wanted...or feared something. They were scared that someone would use it...It's not like anyone dared to approach it either. Since Captain DuFlamme died, no one even came near it except for the mechanics. That would explain a lot...**_**Now we're in deep shit**_**.**

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't hear Seth pointing at a certain spot, screaming.

"Kim! I found some of them! Part of the crew, they're not dead!" I couldn't believe my eyes! I looked through the head window of the Valliant and saw a tiny life capsule with three people in it, every single one of them out cold.

"We better do something before they run out of oxygen!" said Seth, hurried.

"I know...but we have nowhere else to go... They can't be awoken like this! They'll die! We have to get back to Earth right now!" I knew what ran through his mind: the Archangel. I was not going on the forsaken floating death device.

"No way Seth! Not the _Archangel_!"

"It's their only chance to live, Kim! I _won't_ obey you this time! Let's head back to the Archangel! It's our only hope to ensure our survival and theirs. Don't be selfish, you know what you must do and you must do it the right way."

"I'm not going Seth; you know I will not follow you." I simply said, cutting him rough.

"You _know_ what is best for you and you _will_ come with me, **please**. If it's not for you, at least do it for me. I _need_ you in this world, you're the only family left out there for me, don't quit on me." He said, firmly gripping the life capsule in his mobile suit's hand, the other one ready to attack with a riffle gun.

"If they come after me, protect me, Kim." **Why should I do that? I'm the one in charge here.**

"...Who said I was coming with you, anyway?" I saw him smile through his window.

"My little finger told me that you wouldn't be able to survive without me." He said, smirking.

**How can he smile in a time like this? We lost everything we had and he still manages to smile? How can he be so strong, so positive? I would just like to have 5% of his happiness and carefree nature...**

"...You're finger is right about one thing: surviving is important. Let's go, I'm tailing you."

There was a pause and finally, he said: "Thank you." That somewhat normal thank you warmed my heart.

We left the debris and headed back for a long ride to the Archangel. I was a bit lost in my thoughts: why did they attack the Archangel at first? Do they have a GUNDAM as valuable as the Vengeance? Why did they attack the Strike? **Holy cow...! They attacked the Archangel first because they thought **_**they**_** had the Vengeance! That explains everything! I guess we'll owe them an explanation...**_**and**_** an apology coming from me about the gates...I don't **_**really **_**feel like being nice to them. And I hate them for what they did to us...I'm doing this for you, Seth. I just hope we're not going into a booby trap because I'll **_**seriously**_** murder your face!**

Since I was his backup for the returning, I had to be extra vigilant and aware, something I was not in the mood to be. I was tired, restless, hungry, sad and pissed at the same time, which produced a sort of PMS syndrome itself.

"Kim, are you watching my back? I can't see you."

"Of course you're not seeing me, idiot. I'm _behind_ you, as you said. I don't remember you having eyes all around your head." He sighed and never replied. I understand him: he _**just**__ doesn't_ want to reply. I saw human bodies and debris of all sorts by the window. I closed my eyes, recognizing some of my old friends out there. **Where's that damn ship? **The Outpacer changed speed to a more rapid one and I sighed. He had seen the outside too. We didn't talk about it at all.

I looked at the only thing that Captain DuFlamme gave me. It was about forty years old: his ancient gun from his grandfather. It was stained and crippled, but it has always been in my mobile suit since I ride it for the first time, five years ago. I was fifteen when I first touched the Valliant, a present from DuFlamme himself to me, his best student.

"_Commander DuFlamme, is this mobile suit for me?" I screamed to him, overjoyed._

"_I guess you can call it a gift." He simply said, smiling. I screamed at the top of my lungs, bursting my happiness to the world. My old friend from the military academy, Seth Yoshiro, had received one too and he went to get me and shown his to me._

"_Isn't this amazing?" He finally asked._

"_Very cool. I can't believe this is happening…!"_

"_Yeah...Let's hope we can use it well." He looked worried but DuFlamme put a firm and reassuring hand on Seth's shoulder. "I know you'll be a great pilot, Seth. From now on, you pilot GAT-X102 Outpacer. Be proud of yourself."_

"_Captain, what is the name of __**my**__ mobile suit?" I asked him very politely._

"_The only name it's got GAT-X100 as a code name. You can call it whatever you want to call it. It's your choice, Kim." I closed my eyes and thought really hard for a moment. Finally, one name stayed in my mind._

"_The Valliant."_

Those were by far the best memories I had: the first day I became a pilot of the _Division_. I sighed and closed my eyes, thinking about what had happened to me, the opportunities I had. I wasn't able to think straight, my mind raging with murders and crimes I committed. I thought about the Star Strike being destroyed but ZAFT soldiers, but I'm no better! How many times did I do that to other people? I destroyed countless ships; space platforms and I even helped with the Bloody Valentine incident! I am the one to be blamed for what happened today, I recognize I haven't been the very best person I should have been for my parents...

"Kim, are you alright? You seem quite silent."

"I'm just thinking, Seth, I'm only thinking...about what we did, in the past few years." I said to him.

"I knew you would eventually bring the subject. I've been thinking about that too." He said.

"What we've done was so wrong...I wish I could go back in time and fix what I've destroyed..."

"We can't go back and repair the damages, Kim. All we can do now is helping the ones in need. You can't always bring up the past, we have to live in the present now, for everyone's sake."

"...You're right. Say Seth, do you trace the Archangel on your radar?"

"No, I've been trying to do that since we left the hangar...I think...They went on Earth..." **Oh mother fucker! What do we do now? We can't descend to Earth in mobile suits, we'll be crushed by the gravity! What do we do now?**

"I have a plan, Kim." That surprised me; he never had any plans before actions. That plan would end up crappy, as usual. I rolled my eyes.

"Surprise me, Seth. What did you manage to figure out?" He frowned and replied.

"I'm not stupid, Kim. I always think before doing something, you know that.** You still manage, after all these years of boring jokes, mind boggling stupidities and the classic armpit fart, to surprise me, dear old friend. **

"The Outpacer is made way thicker than the Valliant, Kim. I think you should hang on to me when we'll descend." **What? Are you **_**suicidal**_**? You really, desperately want to die, do you? The gravity will kill us both! Oh my god, why?**"No way! You can't be thinking straight, Seth! The Outpacer isn't strong enough to withstand the Earth's gravity! You'll be crushed under my weight!"

"That's not true. Before we left, the mechanics of the Star Strike installed on the Outpacer a new technology called GX-Grav, which permits me to go through Earth's gravity no problem. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner...We didn't have the time."

"If it's what you want, Seth, I'll say okay but...promise me you're not lying."

"Why would I lie when I want to protect you and other people? That would be stupid." I smiled. I knew he was sincere and a true man. I would never doubt of him, even in a situation of crisis.

"We'll arrive soon to the Moon Base, Kim. Be prepared because once we'll get though its territory, we'll be sucked to the Earth automatically. Put on your seat belt, it's going to be a bumpy ride." I wasn't scared but wasn't reassured either: I've never had this kind of training before now. I didn't know how strong the gravity would be.

"You know what you're doing, right?" I asked him. He simply nodded and took the Valliant's hands and pulled us in a round embrace, making the two mobile suits collide against each other. I say the moon from afar. I knew this would be scary and dangerous, but something told me to do it. We saw ships from all around the world gathering there, everyday. I guess the moon belonged to everybody on Earth, especially the Earth Forces. A blue dot flashed in my cockpit: someone was trying to communicate with me and it wasn't Seth. I pressed the blue button and a voice echoes in my cockpit.

"_This is Admiral Yokona from the Moon Base. I am asking you what you are doing, pilot of the blue mobile suit! This is dangerous beyond our territory! I ask you to leave immediately!"_

I could feel the gravity already, pushing us to the right. "Seth, we're deviating!"

"I know but I have no idea what's happening! I'm trying to launch our mobile suits back in the original position, but nothing is working!" The gravity became very heavy and we lost communication with the Moon Base. I panicked and tried to contact Seth, but the radio was intercepted with the satellite's waves. I buckled my belt tight and put my hands on my head, dropping in on my thighs. The gravity was now so strong it wasn't making us deviate, is was absorbing us around the Earth, pulling us like a bunch of wolves on a deer. I could see blue all around and I knew Seth activated the GX-Grav because the right was now smooth. A couple of minutes passed and I wondered how the people from the crew were doing. They must've been in the same position. But my thoughts were cut by darkness.

I opened my eyes to see a blue sky and very white clouds. I was in my mobile suit, but the cockpit was open, letting fresh air penetrate in the tight space and filling my lungs completely. I heard voices and screams of joy. I tried to move my head, but my muscles were so sore I winced. **I will never do this again... Mark my word.**


	3. Phase 3

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

"Kim, Kim are you awake?" Seth's voice echoed in my ears. I tried to get up, but my legs weren't responding to mu command.

"Don't stress yourself, Kim. Just stay down for a second." I nodded slowly and closed my eyes.

"What happened, Seth? My head feels like a pumpkin on Halloween… Empty and full of holes."

"You went unconscious. I guess the gravity was too strong for you. Its okay thought, nothing happened to your system or your head. But..."He was about to say something about my head not being alright and I kicked his leg, making fall off the cockpit. I gasped and I rushed to the window, looking down. There he was, squashed against the sandy terrain, his eyes wide open. He was laughing and crying in pain at the same time. I frowned. **That ought to make him stop talking for a while. He'll give me a break...**

"What about the people in the lifeboat? Are they okay?"

"They're just fine...I guess. Whatever happens, we must not touch this safety vessel."

"Why is that, Seth? We must wake them up!"

"It's not that I want them asleep, but it's the only way they'll be safe. We don't know if the change of atmosphere of the area for the instance is going to affect them so I suggest we leave them into regenerescence."

I got down the cockpit and made sure my feet were going to stand me up and support my weight by switching my feet several times, jumping on one leg and switching back to the other. Seth managed to get up, clutching to his head.

"What the _hell _was that for?"

"You should shut up once in a while." He muttered under his breath, apparently pissed.

I looked around me and only saw sand, sand and did I mention sand?

"Where are we, Seth?"

"In some kind of desert. I would say we're...in mother Africa." **Africa? Holy crap! We deviated a lot from the Atlantic Federation territory! Jesus Christ, we're in a big mess! But… Wait a second...!**

I went back into the Valliant's cockpit, took out a map, got down and put the map on the ground. Seth approached and looked. **That's it! We're closer to Orb! That's what I thought! We have a base in Orb! We'll contact the HQ from there.**

"Seth, we are in a _perfect_ spot."

"I know. It's warm and I need a tan." I nudged his arm and frowned.

"I know you do it unconsciously, but you are an **idiot**! Look at the world with your _woman's_ eyes! We're in southern Africa, which means we're closer to Orb than to the Atlantic Federation! What does that mean Seth, being close to Orb?"He thought for a second, but gave in. I was losing what was left of my patience.

"_That_ _means_ we can contact the HQ from Orb!" A light apparently lit up in his head because he seemed like he understood. "I get it! That makes so much more sense!" **Oh my God, give me the strength to go on with him…**

We ate a bit and sat down to elaborate a plan: we needed to get there safely. Since we were in the PLANTS territories, we needed to make an act so subtle we could get to Orb incognito. The problem was to be subtle with two enormous pieces of metal entered illegally in this country. We had to find somewhere to hide them while we cross the ocean to get to Orb… A brilliant idea crossed my genius mind.

"Seth! The Archangel!" A light flashed in his blue orbs, but he frowned at the same time.

"I thought you never wanted to see them again and leave them to ZAFT to rot and to starve, or something of that sort." **Yeah well the wind changed direction 'cause we need 'em to cross the border.**

"I know but think about it: if we aboard the Archangel once more, we'll get to cross the ocean without any problem whatsoever! We'll be able to hide our mobile suits and get a nice ride out of it too! If they went to Earth and took the same path as we did, they eventually would have to go in the Moon Base territory and hit the waves of gravity, making them deviate from their path and land here too!"

"It makes sense but the thing is: where are they? They could be anywhere in South Africa and... Since we can't fly with the Outpacer and the Valliant, we're bound to..."

"_Walk_. Jesus Christ!" **I didn't think of that! I'm so stupid! There' **_**no way**_** we'll be able to catch up with them if we can't fly to them! Ugh, what do we do now?**

"Let's try an interference call. It's the only solution."

"_Are you crazy_, Seth?! We're going to get _busted_! **No** interference call!"

"I say we do it, what do we have to lose? We have nothing with us except mobile suits! If we're attacked, we'll defend ourselves and we'll run away! It's easy!"

"No! _It's dangerous! What are thinking, Seth?_"

"A little danger won't kill us! You went through the Earth's gravity, what's up with flying in an enemy's territory? That's nothing!" We argued and the night fell on us like a brick, the temperature falling with the daylight. I stayed in my cockpit and wrapped around a blanket. I could see the light in Seth's cockpit: his radio was on, displaying a distress signal. I frowned and got up. I was upset he wouldn't listen to me. I got down from the cockpit and interpleaded him from the ground. The night air would do me good. I sat down in the cold sand and looked up to the Valliant. With this machine, I could destroy everything in my path, but I could also protect the ones, excuse me, the _one_, I love the most in the world. After all, I had only Seth in this universe, the only one who understood me and took care of me. I had to take care of him, for he was like my little brother. It was my responsibility; it was I who had to be the mother and the best friend. I stayed there for a while, thinking about the right thing to do.

The next morning, I woke up and awoke Seth, this one still sleeping, snoring peacefully. His body was strong and his arms powerful and slender. He wasn't too muscular, but he was a very strong person both physically and mentally. I groggily looked on the control board and a flashing red dot was ticking. **Someone answered the distress signal!** "Seth, wake up! Someone answered the distress signal! Come on, wake up!" I screamed, shaking him. The monitor showed a distress code of which I could signal. Seth opened his eyes and asked what was happening.

"They received the signal! I'll try to contact them." I took out the emergency distress radio from the Outpacer's dashboard and typed in the code. We both jumped in the Outpacer's cockpit, nervous. We waited a couple of minutes; the anxiety could be felt in the cockpit. Finally, a voice was heard through the speakers of the monitor.

"This is the Archangel; we received a distress signal from you. Who are you and can tell you tell me your location?" Seth was overjoyed and hugged me tightly. "We're saved." He said.

"Captain Ramius! It's us: Seth Yoshiro and Kim Desjardin! We need your assistance!" There were gasps and exclamations through the mike and Murrue Ramius seemed very happy. I could hear the crew sighing in relief.

"We located you, pilots of the Valliant and the Outpacer. Don't worry, we are coming. I am glad you're both alive, kids." Said Mu LaFlaga, with an enthusiastic tone in his voice. "I hope you're going to tell us why you're in the middle of a desert, distressed. This is very...unexpected."

"Yes, Commander LaFlaga, I'll explain everything when I see you. We thank you very much."

"I hope to see you soon too, kids. Take care while we arrive."

The communication was cut off and we both sighed in relief. We knew this opportunity was going to save our lives. I thanked God and Seth to have stayed by my side. I couldn't help myself but to feel nauseated by this new feeling I felt towards Seth. I knew he was my friend, but since it happened...really, I didn't know what to expect from him. He was handsome, kind, gentle, perverted but sweet. I never noticed it until just recently. My thoughts were interrupted by an elbow shot at my head. He hit my mouth with his elbow.

"Ow! Jesus Christ, Seth! That hurt!" He apologized and gave a knee thrust on my butt.

"For fuck's sakes, what's your problem, buddy?"

"I'm so sorry, but we're really cramped up in here...How about we go outside?"

"Yeah, at least you won't hit anymore!"

"Come on! I didn't do it on purpose. Accept my apologies." I thought for a second.

I pressed a little button and the cord got me down of the Outpacer and I stepped on the ground, putting my feet firmly on the soft sand. I let the cord going up and it was Seth's turn to get down. I went to my mobile suit and looked if it had any damage. It seemed alright, even though both of the mobile suits had been pretty shook by our last trip into space. The gravity of the planet didn't help either, let's say.

"Kim, wait up! I got down some food, let's eat!" I mentally agreed and I went to sit with him, but I stayed very silent. His eyes were so full of life when he looked at me. He knew what I was thinking about. I knew it was awkward and he felt really bad. I had been so weird around him lately. I knew of his feelings for me for the longest time, but I never said anything to him. I avoided the question for many years, and he knew it. There was always this tension between us when we were truly alone.

"Kim, we have to talk. I can't stand this awkwardness around you."

"I know. I feel it too. If only I would have been honest with you, this would never have happened." He looked vexed.

"What is that supposed to mean, Kim Desjardin? You are the most wonderful person in the world! You know that and you know I think you're beautiful as well. I just wish you would open yourself to me, sometime…"

"I know but I am just helplessly trying to convince myself that being alone is what is best for me and I know it's wrong, but you make me feel so happy and I'm such an asshole for making you wait…" I said in a very hurt voice.

"So you're telling me that it's my fault you felt lonely and depressed last night, alone in the sand, thinking? You still think I don't look after you? That wouldn't surprise me." I couldn't answer him and I just couldn't bring out the words to tell him and the love we shared wasn't the same anymore.

He blushed and shut his mouth instantly, eating his soup sulking and muttering insults. That vexed him for sure: men dislike women telling them they don't need them in any kind of way. He wanted to be a man last night; he was going to feel cheap like a man this morning.

"Seth, are you angry?" No answer.

"You are angry, aren't you?" No answer, still. **Stubborn shithead.**

"Can I tell you something and we'll never talk about it again?" He looked at me but nothing came out of his mouth. I left my soup back at my place and approached him very gently and I sat next to him. I got my mouth closer to his ear and breathed into it, sending shivers all over his body.

"Let me tell you one thing..." I started whispering in his voice.

"Never in my life did I feel as lonely. That scared me so that's why I'm unsure about...us." He stopped eating and looked at me. He was about to kiss me but I pushed him away. He had a questioned look on his face and opened his mouth, but again, nothing came out. I had told him how I truly felt about him and that ended the conversation. I knew he wouldn't bring up the subject anymore.

The day passed very slowly and we didn't talk at all: we only looked at each other. I was scared, very scared that he wouldn't forgive me for what I told him. Even if I talked to him, I wouldn't be able to get something intelligent to say to him or even something that made sense. My thoughts were incoherent. They were suddenly interrupted by a screeching sound in the sky. I saw an enormous white and red ship in the distance, coming towards us. **The Archangel is here!**

"Seth! Get out of your mobile suit, _**they're here!**_"

"I know, I'm coming out." He said with a monotone tone in his voice. I ignored him and we both waved hands so they would see us in the distance. The ship was so big we had to step back from its giantess.

"Oh my God, it's huge! I never thought it was _that_ big! It seemed much smaller in space…!" said Seth, not even looking at me. I closed my eyes to not receive sand in the face. I held my arms on my face and took a defensive stance. It landed loudly about a mile away from us. I saw the Strike coming out and approaching Seth and I ran to it. I gave up and stopped. **The fool, he's running for nothing. You'll tire yourself even more, idiot.**

The Strike landed safely and Kira, the pilot, got down his mobile suit. Seth, still running to him, waved hello and... he tripped. I shook my head and simply ran to him, rolling my eyes. With a mouthful of sand he chewed up, Seth threw up. Both Kira and I had a disgusted look on our face. Kira, closer to him, grabbed him and pulled him away from the mess. He let him lay down and I looked at them: they were both laughing. **At least he's feeling something... He's not paralyzed. **

I finally reached them and took a deep breath, looking at the two idiots standing before me.

"Kira, it's a pleasure to see you again!" I said to him, waving my hand hello.

"Kim, the pleasure is mine. I'm glad you're both...okay, if I can say that to your friend..." he said, laughing nervously. Seth was giggling and had a bit too much of a tan for me not to worry.

"I think he's having a fever, Kira. Let's take him to your doctor, please."

"Yeah, let's do that." I saw the captain Ramius running to us, followed by medics and other crewmembers. She appeared worried and had a questioning look on her pale face. They rushed to Seth and put him on a mobile bed and transported him to the Archangel fast. I sighed in relief and smiled to Kira.

"You know, I'm really glad you guys made it... You really helped us out today…We'd be so screwed without you" I said to him. He was about to reply when someone grabbed me from behind and pressure my arms in a knot. I gasped from the surprise and that person made me kneel on the ground, hurting my back in the process. I looked around and I saw confusion on the faces of many. They passed a pair of handcuffs around my wrists and pushed me on the ground, face down. I screamed from the assault and squirmed under the man's weight. Captain Ramius closed her eyes and called out my name.


	4. Phase 4

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

"Kim Desjardin, don't worry about your friend, he'll be just fine."

"_**What the fuck**_? I don't understand! Untie those _damn_ handcuffs _right now_!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that just now...I press charges against you for threatening and menacing with a gun our mechanic crew and I add the important damage you caused to the Archangel."

"_**What**_? How can you _say_ that, are you _**deranged**_? They _refused_ to let me out! I had to go out; my mother ship was being _attacked _by the ZAFT forces, you _**idiots**_! What did you wanted me to do, wait there and stand while drinking a cup of tea with some biscuits?" I screamed and squirmed.

"They didn't open the gates because _I_ ordered them to keep them closed because if we were attacked, they would only barge in the hangar and destroy everything from the inside. I know I'm not your captain, Kim, but you trespassed my authority and I can't change that." She said, ending the conversation. The man who was grabbing me had a firm grip, a grip so strong I couldn't even move. I looked behind and saw Commander Mu LaFlaga, holding my arms behind my back. I saw back there the Outpacer and the Valliant waiting, longing for us on a sand hill. I frowned.

**I'm not going to let them take me in a rotten dungeon cell!**

I kicked LaFlaga on the leg and he let out a grunt, loosening his grip on me. I took the opportunity to run off from him and to turn around to face him. I uppercut kicked him in the face and he fell on the ground, clutching to his nose, letting a stream of blood fall on the creamy caramel sand. I hopped back, knowing the others would eventually try to attack me too. I looked at the Archangel, the main door of the pod open. **There's my chance!**

I ran to the Archangel, the crew behind me letting out cries of surprise and gasp of fear. I knew Kira would run behind me so I ran faster, remembering all of the intense training we had back at the HQ. The military is not a push-over. I ran faster and harder than anybody back at the HQ, it's not some punk running after me that's going to get me!

"Kim! Stop running!" I heard Kira scream behind me.

I jumped on the main staircase of the entrance pod of the Archangel, spinning my way inside the battle ship. The white corridors were long and wide, enough space and length to make my escape from Kira. I took the first right and got stuck on a door with my coat. **God damn it, **_**my coat!**_** Shit, I have to rip it off! **As planned the coat ripped of my upper body, leaving me in a white t-shirt. I had to get the handcuffs off before anything else. I turned left and tripped on a crewmember's foot. I quickly got back on my feet and continued running, my boots clicking the polished floor. I looked around to check if anything would be useful to untie my hands. I descended a flight of stairs and a strike of light hit my mind. **That's it! The metal brackets attaching the ramp to the wall! Genius!**

I ran to the next flight of stairs and located the tiny metal bar in between the ramp and the wall and positioned my arms so it would cross the path with the hand coughs chain. As predicted, when I hit the metal attach, the chain broke, letting my hands become separate once again. But the ramp was cheap, I guess, and it felt down in the flight of stairs, alarming the rest of the ignorant crew. I turned right and heard Kira scream and trip against the ramp, about fifteen meters behind me. _What an idiot_. I decided to go in the elevator, take a chance and get upstairs, where they were holding Seth.

I got in the elevator at the end of the corridor and saw a security gun inside a red box on the wall. I broke the glass opener and took out the gun and charged it with the bullets besides it. I ran into the elevator and pressed the R2-Cockpit button. I took a deep breath and put the gun in front of me and took a defensive stance. The doors opened and I ran through the sliding doors of the cockpit of the Archangel. Everyone turned around to see me without hand coughs and in possession of a gun. My hair was let loose and I was on the nerves. The captain turned around and Commander Badgiruel looked straight into my eyes. Murrue gasped and I held the gun up high.

"I'm did not come here to be upset, _though I __**should**__ be_, and shoot you all. I just wanted to talk so sit down and listen to what happened to us. If you do not, and that applies to you too, Miss Badgiruel, I'll shoot without any hesitation. Is that clear? You'll find out that we've been _pretty fucking_ nice to you despite the gates incident." They said nothing, all of them. They just sat down and open they eyes wide.

"First of all, we never had any intentions of hurting you or even to sink the Archangel. We are a neutral duo part of the _Division_, intended to help the Naturals and the help the destruction of ZAFT. We are only here to _help you_. It's _that_ simple." I continued by explaining what the Division really was and how it was created.

"Then, we were assigned to the Star Strike, Seth and I, to watch under severe surveillance the ZAFT commando ship Vesalius. But when we found out that they had new mobile suits that matched the descriptions of ours, we decided to go and check out...if they could pilot it or not. Then, our commander told us they attacked the Archangel, a legged ship of marvelous qualities, but not listed in the military floats. We had to be sure that you were safe."

"So...that's when you came to us?"

"Yes. Then when we were finished with the ZAFT, you told us to get aboard. But we received a signal from our mother ship that we should return. I suspected something so I hurried but you guys wouldn't let me go so...I had no choice. It was my duty as Commander. Then, we went back and..."

"And what? What happened?" asked Murrue.

"Our mother ship was destroyed by ZAFT right after we got out of the Archangel." Everyone looked at each other and closed their eyes, pitied by the situation. I lowered the gun and threw it far away, at the end of the room where no one could take it.

"After that, Seth and I returned to the debris and found a life capsule, a lifepod, as you name it. We don't know what to do with the people in it because if we opened it ourselves, they would suffer from brain damage due to the enormous amount of oxygen they would actually need. They are alive, but kept in minimal display, such as the lowest body temperature, approximately no oxygen and no food or water. But if a professional take care of them, they'll be just fine."

"So...you say we should take them all on the Archangel after the doctor examines them?"

"That would be a possibility, captain. I don't know what you think, thought. It's your decision on that." Murrue looked at Mu La Flaga, worried. He gave her a wink and she blushed. I passed that.

"Anyway. We were now caught up in space and... Let's say I wasn't happy that we had to find you, please understand. We always worked in a pair, never with an entire crew behind us. So a mother ship with an active crew with friends, we don't have that_ kind_ of training."

"I see...so no social skills at all? That's weird considering you had a crew on the Star Strike." Mentioned Murrue Ramius, confused and concerned.

"Let's say we didn't have a conventional teams...We weren't friends on board...we were enemies."

"Enemies? What kind of crew is that? That's crazy, yeah its nuts!" screamed LaFlaga.

"That's how I became Commander, _Commander_ LaFlaga. Its how we survive in the _Division_: the best gets the win, the weak loses the battle. Since we don't have friends, we can't have help in any way. We have to be good from the start and if not...there are heavy consequences. Seth and I...were the best on both our fleets and on the piloting military area."

"My God, you must be really good in a mobile suit! So I suppose those ZAFT soldiers were nothing but a cheap shot for you guys..." mumbled LaFlaga.

"Actually, I think they were gaming with us: only playing with the Strike to see Kira Yamato's capabilities. But this is all assumption; I'm only speaking my mind."

"I can't understand you Coordinators extra logic. It's so complicated…" said LaFlaga in disbelief.

I smirked. "Commander LaFlaga, I'm not a Coordinator."

Everyone gasped to the revelation. I knew it seemed strange that a Natural would pilot such a complicated machine, but I had numerous hundreds of hours of practice with the Valliant: my memory had the benefit of it all.

"Yes, I am a Natural...maybe just a bit different than you guys. I don't have an explanation, if that's your next question."

"Then how come you can pilot the Valliant? It's impossible!" said Badgiruel, outraged.

"It's very possible with the proper training and the hours you spend with your machine. You won't be able, if not a Coordinator, to pilot it with an hour or so of training with a GUNDAM."

"Kira did it, you know." Added one of his friends named Sai, sitting on the lower lever cockpit.

"But Kira _is_ a Coordinator, am I right?" They all looked at him like he was an idiot and turned back to me.

"Seth and I...we're not Coordinators, simply Naturals with training. We can pilot pretty much all the machines the military has around. We are _very_ versatile."

Murrue Ramius had a blank expression on her face, as if she didn't care at all.

"That's amazing and all, but we can't afford such a dangerous addition to the Archangel. It's just...it's complicated. If you eventually turn out on us, we're doomed if we face you. We won't stand a chance and, I do not doubt you abilities, Commander LaFlaga, but still, they're a dangerous threat."

"Like we'd have time to betray you...You guys are _killing_ me! Disloyalty wasn't part of my training! Seth and I..." but I wasn't able to continue my sentence: Badgiruel interrupted me.

"I am not speaking about that boy, Seth! I'm talking about_ you_! I don't trust _you_!"

"_**What do you mean, Miss Badgiruel?" **_I exclaimed, furious. "You _really _think you can _**survive**_ with only one mobile suit, of which the pilot isn't trained and only _**one**_ capable pilot with _real_ experience on the battlefield? You _think_ it's going to save you? Well, I'd like to see that happening." Everyone stayed silent and looked at the woman with violet eyes, full of anger.

"Kira and Commander LaFlaga are very good on the battlefield. Unless one won't be able to battle, I suggest you stay on board. I will let you stay, but under strict conditions. First, I won't permit you to talk to your superiors that way, Miss Desjardins. You are not a Commander anymore. I frowned. **This is going to be **_**very**_** hard...**

"Second, I want Commander LaFlaga to have a close watch over your actions at _all_ time, and that means also around the Valliant. He'll show you everything you have to know about the Archangel." **Great, I'm stuck with the dimwit.**

"One more thing: you will train Kira Yamato with the Strike."** What? No way! This **_**sucks**_**!**

"Captain Ramius, with all the respect I owe you, I'm no fucking _babysitter_! The kid can take care of himself."

"Do you wish to stay on board? Or do you want to eat sand for the rest of your miserable life?" said a grinning Badgiruel, apparently proud of her retort.

"Quite frankly, I hate...stupid sand." I mumbled. LaFlaga smirked and was about to laugh when Badgiruel hit him with her elbow. He winced and excused himself.

"From now on, Kim Desjardin and Seth Yoshiro are part of the Archangel crew too." Officially said Murrue Ramius, holding out her hand to me. I looked at it and nodded and shook her hand.

"Thank you, Captain. I still have a question: where can I find Seth?" She smiled.

"He's on the third floor, in the sick bay facility." I was about to leave the room when the door opened to reveal an angry Kira. He jumped on my person and we fell on top of me, holding a knife to my throat. He pinned me down and the Captain gasped.

"Kira! Get off of her immediately...!" But Kira was determined and held the knife high in the air.

"She is...she's...!"

"_She's part of the crew now_, so I suggest you treat her well too, Kira. I also suggest you have a talk with her and her friend." Ordered Commander LaFlaga with an evil smile on his face. Kira quickly got off of me and blushed. He had noticed he had touched my upper body and I got up, facing him from an inch of his face. He waited for me at the elevator and held the door so I could come in. Once I was in, he moved his hand and let the doors close before the commanding crew. He was silent and seemed ashamed.

"You should talk more since your my...um...student from now on." He sure was surprised when he heard that last sentence that came out of my mouth.

"What...do you mean...?"

"I am to train you with the Strike. We need you on the battlefield and we need you prepared, Kira. I know it's awkward that a Natural teaches a Coordinator to pilot a mobile suit, but they're my orders. If you have any questions, you can ask me anytime. I'm off to see how Seth's doing. Good day, Mister Yamato." I said, leaving the elevator on the third level, waving him bye, leaving him dumbfounded.


	5. Phase 5

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

I walked around the third floor, looking in every room for my friend, who apparently went missing on this enormous ship. I opened every door and looked in every room, but the guy wasn't here! Where was Seth? I saw the doctor at the very end of the corridor and I fasten my pace. I approached him and asked him where Seth was.

"He's in here. I have to check on the people in the capsule you brought with you from space, now. Don't you worry about a thing, your friend is perfectly fine, he simply needs rest." I thanked him and entered the room. I found Seth lying on a white bed, reading a magazine. I knocked on the sliding door frame and he detached his attention from his reading.

"Oh, they finally let you in? I heard you were kind of...made prisoner."

"I had my ways to get out of this mess. It's going to cost me, but now we're part of this ship's crew. I also had...a conversation with the Captain. I talked about what happened in space and how we managed to get here. They seemed pretty impressed by our features, but they're skeptical too. We'll have to prove our worth, Seth." I knew he was tired by the look on his face and I patted his head. He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Go to sleep you idiot. Oh, I almost forgot: I have to get up at five tomorrow, so don't look around for me."

"Why...?" He asked, his voice mellowed by the need of sleep.

"I have to train Kira."

"You loser..." he said, drifting to sleep. I exited the room and thought about our plan. Everything was going just fine by the way it looked. We'll get to Orb pretty quickly and we'll be able to alert the Headquarters and finally take a break from all of this. I walked to the elevator and went on the second floor, where the rooms were. I knew my eyelids were getting heavy, but I tried my best to concentrate. On the second floor, I got off and walked to see Mu LaFlaga, standing in the hall, in front of a door. I walked to him and asked him what he was doing in front of that room.

"I was waiting for you." He said.** Wait a minute...waiting for me! Ew! What kind of man is he!** LaFlaga noticed the disgusted look on my face and laughed nervously, shaking his head in embarrassment.

"No, no! _It came out wrong!_ I meant to show you where your room was...! That's all!"

"I _hope_ so. You're **way** too old for me, Commander, with all due respect." He sweat dropped and wished me a good evening. I went into my room and sat on the bed, opening the curtain. The sun was slowly setting and I lost my gaze outside the window. The sand was blowing down in the ground and it seemed windy outside. I went into the bathroom and took a hot shower. **Hey! They even left shampoo! That's nice.** After washing myself, I got out of the bathroom and wrapped a towel around my body, letting it absorb the rest of the water on my skin. My long brown hair was loose and tangled on my back, letting droplets of water fall on the ground. I put on some grey jogging pants and a black camisole and fell on my bed, exhausted.

I was stressed out. I was stressed out because I didn't know what was going to happen or what could happen to us. I heard a loud noise and got up, went outside of the room and checked out the corridor. Nothing. Barefoot, I wandered around the Archangel, going on every floor. Finally, I landed on the hangar level and heard screaming all over the place.

"Watch it you _asshole_! She's going to _**kill**_ us if you scratch it just once! Do you want to die today or what?" screamed an angry Murdoch, chief engineer that didn't allow me to leave the hangar back into space. I saw they we're transporting the Valliant inside the Archangel, but they seemed to have some serious difficulty getting it inside.

"Do you need help, gentlemen?" I asked, making all of the mechanic crew turn around slowly.

"Miss Desjardin! Well...the thing is...its way heavier than the Strike! Our machines aren't able to pull it inside at all! Please don't hurt us; it's not our fault...!" I laughed and earned a good number of questioning looks.

"It's because I put the Heavy Lock on. I don't want to get stolen or anything. It's only a precaution I take when I leave the Valliant. Only I have the code to unlock it." I said, some of the crew pushing an enormous staircase that led directly to my cockpit. I got up the stairs and threw myself lazily into the cockpit, enjoying the feel of the seat on my butt. I opened the monitor and entered the code. _Unlocking the security precautions of the Valliant...please wait..._It said on the screen. After a couple of seconds, all the security precautions such as the automatic self-destruction system and the prohibition of oxygen inside the cockpit were removed. I got out and waved them okay.

"I'm glad we can get it to safety now..." said a relieved Murdoch.

"I'm glad you didn't touch it at all, you would've made the Archangel explode into millions of pieces. You should be more careful around these mobile suits, they have superior technologies and it could be dangerous for you, you see..."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"I want to protect you; I want to protect the Archangel. The Valliant and the Outpacer are superior, have a very destructive self-destruct system and could be fatal if I or anyone pressed the button that shall make them auto destruct. That would cause the Archangel to sink and we don't want that, now do we?" I said in a kind voice. They all smiled and nodded understandingly.

"So next time you're about to touch it, I won't kill you, but hurt you _very _badly." I said, my voice venomous. They're eyes all widen in fear, in real _genuine_ fear.

A couple of punches could be heard from the elevator and, leaving all of them with bruises, rejoined the elevator and got up the levels. There was one level I didn't go on yet: the outside platform. I opened the sliding door and it revealed an enormous balcony for whatever reasons it was really made. I walked to the outside and took a breath of fresh air. The night was fresh and a bit cold. The sky was illuminated by stars and the moon was a beautiful sight.

I gazed at the horizon and sighed.** This can turn out to be **_**much **_**unexpected...What will I do? Should I fight alongside the Archangel or should I just fight to protect myself and Seth? I don't want to get attached to the people here! I don't want that, it'll hurt too much when I'll take my leave to let them to their fate...I must rethink our plan...Our common enemy is ZAFT, so I don't understand why we should not fight alongside them...after all, it was our last assignment, we'll stay faithful… This is **_**so**_** complicated!** My thoughts were interrupted by an alarm.

_All hands to level 1 battle station! I repeat: all hands to level 1 battle station! In coming BuCues! All hands to level 1 battle station! Kira Yamato, Seth Yoshiro and Commander LaFlaga in the hangar immediately!_

**But...Seth's in no condition to battle!**

I ran to the elevator and press the hangar level on the control panel. When the elevator doors opened, I rushed to the crew and saw Kira and Commander LaFlaga getting ready to go in their machines. I looked from behind and restrained myself from doing the wrong thing and disobey the Captain.

_Commander LaFlaga, Skygrasper number 1, standby! _Mu got in the Skygrasper and was placed first on the catapult and was quickly evacuated from the hangar. It flew behind the Archangel to ensure that it wouldn't get hit from behind. Kira was mounted in the Strike and was placed on standby while they replaced the catapult. It was then attached to the Strike and the mobile was propelled to the outside swiftly. I couldn't let Seth pilot in his situation; he still had a very high fever and was supposed to rest. I saw him descend from the elevator, his body shaking.

"Seth! You're not _serious_? You're not going to fight, are you?" His eyes were tired and his body weak, but he still managed a smile.

"I have to, it's my orders..."

"Seth...Give me your suit! I'll handle this!" he did not seem to like my idea.

"No...! It's my duty, I'll do it...!" but he tripped and fell on the ground, his head hitting it hard.

"Seth! Are you injured? That's _it_, buddy! You _ain't _going! Lend me your suit, I'll fly the Outpacer!"

"But...you never piloted the Outpacer...it's not the same as the Valliant, Kim...You can't possibly..."

"At least give me some credit! I'm a very good pilot, better than both Kira and Commander LaFlaga together. I can pilot the Outpacer, I _will_ pilot the Outpacer, is that clear?" Five minutes later, I got out of the tiny corridor of the elevator and had put on Seth's combination for piloting the Outpacer. I ran to his mobile suit and waved hello to the crew.

"Are you ready for this, boy? We'll see how good you are!" screamed an enthusiastic Murdoch, giving me the permission to get aboard the Outpacer. I entered the mobile suit and closed the hatch of the cockpit. I pressed the start button and G.U.N.D.A.M appeared on the screen. Personally, I thought that the Outpacer's interior resembled very much to the Valliant. I was put on standby and I got minded and ready. I looked at his OS and my eyes widen.

**Damn it. That's why he said the Valliant isn't like the Outpacer! I understand now...**

_System all green! Ready when you are! You can launch!_ I took a deep breath and reply:

"Seth Yoshiro, Outpacer, I'm taking off!" The emerald green mobile suit was ejected out of the Archangel and I clutched to my seat. I pushed the ascension lever and flew in the sky. I looked from afar and saw the Strike in pretty bad shape, his energy level already critically low. The Skygrasper, on the other hand, was trying to make the BuCues follow him instead and trying to get Kira out of danger. That didn't seem to work pretty well.

I rushed to the Strike and saw the BuCue had a laser sword in its mouth and was aiming right at Kira's cockpit. He took a step back and bent the Strike so it would evade the murderous blow. I pushed the command lever forwards, making the Outpacer slash the sky in a bright blue light. His mobile sure was fast, but I had second thoughts about the ability to execute commands of the mobile suit. Speed is handy, of course, but I have to make it fly properly to win this. That's why I reprogrammed the Outpacer's OS so the movements would adjust to the speed of my own mobile suit.

I aimed for the BuCue that was attacking Kira and got the laser sword out of its sheath and threw it at the hound mobile suit. When the Outpacer's feet touched the ground to intercept the next attack, I pushed Kira out of the way and he glided in the sand, leaving me and the BuCue face to face. He threw missiles at me but I intercepted them with simple bullet shots. He was about to shot his Gottfrieds at me, but I back flipped and put the Outpacer on its back and kicked from underneath the BuCue, sending him in the air. I picked up the laser sword I threw moments ago and jumped on top of the BuCue, kicking him back to the ground and landing on him heavily, thrusting the sword in its cockpit. I jumped quickly in the air, letting the hound mobile suit explode under the Outpacer. Kira tried to get up, but his mobile suit wouldn`t budge.

**He has to adjust the Strike to the sand! Change your OS!**

I had no time to communicate with him: the remaining BuCues attacked in unison and I evaded their attack by rolling the Outpacer in the sand. I took out my missiles and sent them aiming for the BuCues. They evaded them easily. I smirked. **They fell right into my trap...!**

I took out a gigantic laser boomerang and threw it in their range position. Since they were aligned, the boomerang would take them both in only one shot. How lucky is that? **Take this, assholes! **I threw the boomerang with a thrust of amazing strength. The pilots looked at each other and separated at the right time to evade the boomerang.

"You guys are not total morons, but you're morons_ still_." I said closing my eyes. I saw the Skygrasper wander in the sky, topping us. I established a communication with LaFlaga and he seemed surprised.

"What is it, kid? You're handling yourself well out there!"

"Lower your altitude and let me hold on to the Skygrasper! This will give me a speed boost, enough for my plan to work!"

"Are you crazy? You sure are out of your mind!" he said, agreeing to the idea.

"I'll tell you when, just standby, Commander!" I said, evading a Gottfried's laser attack. I looked around. **There's one at 11 o' clock and the other one is at 2 o'clock. I think it's going to work...If I can just pull them together one bit, it would be just perfect...Uh, I know!**

I took out the sniper and aimed at the BuCue at my right, making sure I didn't hit it. It went at 12 o'clock, just where I wanted him to be. "Now Commander! Take me from behind!" There was no response, but a "ew" from the Commander and he passed right on top of me and I grabbed its wings, making the Skygrasper loose altitude.

"Kid, you're too heavy, I'm losing altitude!"

"Hang on just a bit and give it some juice, Commander! Maximum speed, NOW!"

I thought a while back for that strategy. When I was ten, Captain DuFlamme took us to an interior amusement park when there were races through labyrinths and where Seth and I had a lot of fun. There was, in a certain area of the room, a sliding rope where you had to push yourself to make it to the other side. I couldn't do it even half way there since I was so small. Seth, obviously teasing me, held onto me and pushed us. The weight made us reach the other side faster and easier. That's what I was going to use: weight to reach maximum thrust.

The BuCues never knew what hit them. The Outpacer, equipped with foot positioned laser blades, kicked them in the face and sliced them open from the skies, making them explode. I let go of the Skygrasper and let it take back some altitude. I finished the BuCues with the sniper and flew back to the Strike, evading the explosion from their destruction. A big mushroom of smoke elevated high in the sky behind me and I landed beside the Strike. The Archangel had rejoined us and the Skygrasper landed near a sand slope, beside the mother ship. Kira got out of his cockpit, blood running down his arm.** He's injured!**

I got out of the cockpit too, worried of the injury Kira had to his arm. The cord got me down and I ran to him. He turned around, a frustrated look on his face.

"Kira, are you alright? What happened to your arm?" I exclaimed, looking at his bloody arm.

"It's just fine, I'm just...Seth? Is that you?" he asked, obviously unmasking me.

"Actually, I..." But I didn't have time to finish my sentence. Commander LaFlaga came running towards us, followed by Captain Ramius and Natarle Badgiruel. They had a very angry expression on their face. Looks like I've been caught. Oh well, I'll explain everything and get the most furious ass whooping.

"Girl, what are you doing in that mobile suit?" exclaimed Badgiruel, pointing her finger at me.

"You went into your friend's mobile suit under his name? Do you think that's _permitted_?" said an angry Captain, glaring at my helmet.

"Never mind these women, girl! You were..._**excellent**_!" exclaimed a rather cheerful Commander LaFlaga. He had a beaming look on his face and I got off Seth's helmet, looking at the ground, blushing. I looked at the Captain, who was consternating by LaFlaga's attitude.

"Commander, she _lied_ and used _another_ person's _identity_!"

"Can you give her a break, Miss Ramius? I permitted that to happen." Said a voice I knew too well. Seth, appearing behind Murrue, clapped his hands. "Nice job out there, as always." I smiled at him and walked to him. His blue eyes were relaxed and his whole body was tired, but he still managed to come and congratulate me. That was the Seth I knew: the one caring, the one who'll be sacrificing so much of him for those tiny little things that would make him happy. I dropped my head on his shoulder and he took me around his body, swirling his arms around my waist. I was so tired I didn't even have the strength to get my head off his shoulder.

"That's cute and everything, but I think the kids are exhausted, Captain..." Finally said LaFlaga, sighing at the sight of Kira sitting on the ground and I in Seth's arms. But the calm didn't last for long: a loud explosion was heard from a ten miles radius and the ground shook, making me fall face down on the ground, Seth clutching to my arm to see if I was alright. Kira got face down too but stayed relatively calm. The tremor ended and we all saw what looked like smoke, in the distance. The sand whipped our faces and I put a hand against my eyes to shield them from the vicious wind. Seth helped me getting up and I looked around me. I took out my gun and Seth's at the same time, pointing them at one direction: the resistance jeeps that arrived next to Kira's machine.

"What the...who are they...?" murmured Seth in my ear. One woman quickly got down the jeep and ran to Kira, whom she slapped out of the blue. We all stayed silent, surprised by the sudden startle of her hand against his fresh skin. Captain Ramius also took her gun out of its sheath and pointed it at the approaching man. Ramius kept her gun in a horizontal line and aimed at the man's head. The desert man smiled and put his hands above his head, meaning he was not going to attack. I breathed and gave back Seth's gun and put my own in its sheath, looking at the scene between the assumed leader of the cargo and our captain and LaFlaga. I looked back at Kira, who was obviously in trouble with the young lady. I decided that enough was enough: my student was injured and tired and I would really appreciate him going into the sick bay for some well earned recovery. I walked towards the woman, who obviously was pissed, and took her arm.

"Excuse me, I have to stop you right here, miss. Kira has to take a break, would you be so kind as to stop yelling at him?" She gave me a dead glare, but that little wimp wasn't scaring me at all. She grabbed my arm and I saw her other arm going for her gun. My head spun and my reflexes took the best out of me. I swiftly grabbed her other arm and threw her on the ground, making her blond hair whip the sand roughly. She was squirming and screaming.

"Don't you ever try that again, do you **understand**?" I asked her, making myself quite clear. I let her arm go and snapped her gun off her belt and threw it to Seth. She managed to get up and to stand.

"Who are you? I want you to tell me your name!" she screamed at me, pointing her index at me.

"Me? I don't know why I shouldn't tell you. My name is Kim Desjardin, part of..." I had a little hesitation, but quickly regained trust in myself.

"...of the Archangel crew." She walked away furiously, jumping in one of the jeeps and waited until the other man that was talking to Ramius finished. They shook hands and the man got into the driver's seat of the jeep. The team drove away into the windy conditions and I looked at Kira, who was obviously shocked by all of this. I looked back at Seth, who was aiming my eyes with a questioning look in his.

"What was that all about...? I don't understand anything..." whined Seth, walking back to the rest of the crew. I, on the other hand, helped Kira up and walked beside him, his arm around my shoulder for support. His other arm was injured and I think his leg was twisted of something.

"Thanks for helping me..." he just said.

"It's okay. I have to take care of you from now on." I replied to him, patting his head. I noticed the little spurt of young man beard and smiled.

"Kira, you might want to go and talk to Seth, he might have a spare razor for you." We both exploded in laughter and Seth smiled in the distance, looking at the new relationship his friend was establishing with another guy than him. He was happy she could finally trust someone else than him. After everyone gathered, we all came aboard the Archangel and they sent Kira and me in the sick bay for recovery.


	6. Phase 6

I couldn't sleep or eat. Why did I have to protect that damn ship? It is not part of my assignment! **God I should've stayed right here and let the kid die...or maybe I did the good thing after all...? I am officially lost.**

"Can I come in?" asked a woman, by the sound of her voice, she was very unsure of her presence here. I was lying on a white hospital bed and my head and both of my arms in bandages, my head up to face Flay Allster, that girl that attacked me on my first tour of the Archangel, back in space.

"I just wanted to talk to you for a moment...if you don't mind." She said, very plain.

"I don't mind but can I stay on my back?" she nodded and took a chair and brought it beside my bed. I looked at her hands and they were shaking with anxiety. Her dark pink uniform was misplaced and her legs were crossed awkwardly. She stayed silent, hesitant about what she was going to say.

"Listen, if you don't want to talk, I don't mind. I feel a bit awkward too." She gazed at my face for a good ten seconds and finally made a sign that she was beginning to relax: she shyly smiled at me.

"I feel more comfortable now..." she said, playing with her ponytail.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about, Flay?" she had a questioning look on her face.

"How do you know my name? I haven't told you yet."

"I just heard Kira mention it." I replied, making her blush.

"Does Kira...talk about me? I mean, it's not that I care but..."

"Yes you care, don't deny it. If you didn't care, you wouldn't even have mentioned Kira's name with that kind of tone in your voice, which seemed like curiosity or even anticipation."

We looked at each other and both laughed, her voice resonating all over the room.

"I didn't officially present myself the last time we met, Flay. My name is Kim Desjardins, I am...a new crew member. Maybe you are too? Are you part of the military, or are you here just because you were with the others?"

"How come you know all of that stuff?" she asked, incredulous.

"I have been keeping an eye on the Archangel, back in space. That's why I attacked the ZAFT pilots when you guys were under assault. My original mission was to protect your ship until you guys went on Earth, but because of some unfortunate happenings, my mission is prolonged."

"I see...so you're the girl who pilots the green mobile suit?" she asked. I shook my head.

"No. That's my friend's, Seth's mobile suit. Mine is still picking up dust in the hangar. Mine is indigo while his is green. You see, we don't have to the same model, but still... You probably don't even care about that kind of crap." I said, chuckling. She shook her head and we laughed once again.

"I never understood those mobile suits, anyway! Those things are for Coordinators." She stopped, knowing she had pronounced the word she never wanted to say again. Her body was petrified from terror at the word _Coordinator_.

"What...are you alright, Flay?" I asked.

"Those...damn..._Coordinators_! I just wish they **never **_existed_! They murdered my...father...they killed him mercilessly..._They deserve to __**die**__!" _She said, screaming at the top of her lungs. I got up and took her arms, trying to calm her down. She crashed on the floor, hyperventilating from her anxiety attack. Her pulse was quick and her breath was rapid also. I sat beside her and she put her head on my tight, crying her eyes out. I closed my eyes, remembering all the pain those Coordinators caused me. They had entered my country, which was neutral and killed my entire family, which had nothing to do with this stupid war.

"I know how you feel..." I calmly said to her, my rage boiling under my skin.

"No you don't! How can you ever understand?" she screamed, glaring at me.

"Because they did the same thing to me." I said, closing my eyes so I wouldn't cry. She just let her head fall on my lap again and cried even more. I clenched my fists, trying to keep my emotions in check, but was hard enough with a girl fantasizing about killing every single Coordinator. Deep down, I was only a part of the _Division _because I wanted to protect the Naturals. They never specified protecting the Coordinators. I wasn't ashamed of admitting I had killed numerous Coordinators in my life nor pitied by the fact that I helped destroy Junius Seven.

"I am not a Coordinator, Flay. I am here to protect you too."

"Protect me...protect Kira...protect the Archangel...and **destroy **them..."

My true nature was revealed to her. She knew I was like her and she felt good about it.

"You can count on me."

That night, I had made another friend. Flay counted on me to protect the ones I cared for and that was another reason why I would have to fight until the very end, until everyone was saved and happy.

I woke up the next morning very early, Flay still asleep on my lap. I took her in my arms very gently and put her on my hospital bed, where she would sleep more comfortably. I put her under the blankets and covered her with the sheets. I put on some clothes and got out of the room, leaving the girl to her dreams.

The automatic sliding door opened and I closed it behind me, trying not to make any noise. The Archangel was silenced by the morn's delicate and almost inexistent sunlight. I went back to my assigned room, took a shower and brushed my teeth in a very relaxed manner. I looked at my ripped Division jacket, frowning. I had ripped the arm off when I ran away from Kira. I put it under my bead, nicely folded and decided to dress up. I put some dark jeans and my Elite boots on. I noticed some very noticeable details: no under garments such as bras, no t-shirts, no nothing. **I have to borrow someone's...Wait! I know they gave some uniform t-shirts to Seth! That's it...oh yeah...no bra...well, I better make it brief and short. After all, I'm half naked, just took a shower and well...half naked. It's enough for Seth to imagine all sorts of stuff... What a **_**drag**_**!**

I rolled around my upper body a clean fresh towel and ran to Seth's room, which was about ten meters from mine. I opened the sliding door and looked around. He wasn't sleeping nor showering...Maybe he was down in the hangar to check up on the Outpacer. **Yeah, that must be it. **I went to his drawer and scrambled around, looking for something to put on, but jeez, only boxers and pants were in there! **Where the fuck are his god damn shirts? **I looked around the room to find something to wear, but only found his pajamas and a pair of socks. I sighed and noticed a little drawer beside his bed. I looked around if anyone saw me and opened the little door to find a collection of shirts, messily piled up. I took a black one and turned around to get out of his room, but...

"Ow!" I was right in front of him, half naked, sweat beading my forehead from embarrassment. Seth opened his eyes and his face was illuminated from this lovely sight. "Kim? What are you doing in my room?" he asked me. Jackass, he knew what I was doing in his room, he was just trying to make me talk, but of course, nothing would come out and that he knew too well.

"I was...uh...looking for um... a shirt..."

"My shirt? Why would you put my shirt on?" he asked with a silly grin on his face.** Go to hell!**

"Because they didn't give me any, captain _obvious_." I replied with a venomous tone in my voice.

"And why are you going? Aren't happy to see me?" he said, patting my arm.

"I'm on a bra quest so will you be kind enough to let me pass, _asshole_?"

"_Hell _no, Kim."

"Seth, I swear if you just don't get out of my way now, I'll have to use the only thing they gave me and you wouldn't like it." He tried to grab my arm, but I kicked his stomach and he fell on the ground, choked by the missing air out of his lungs. I took out the gun and pointed it in the air, warning him that touching me anymore was a mistake he'd live to regret.

"Please, Seth...I know we're not on the Star Strike anymore, but I am still a Commander to you. I won't stand to procrastination anymore; I don't want to argue anymore for I am your superior... Respect that."

He took a deep breath and sighed, resting his arms on both sides of his body, admitting he'd lost the fight.

"Your right, I've been foolish...I'm sorry, Kim..." I got off of him, holding his shirt against my naked chest.

"I'm happy you understand. In here, I'm the one who holds most of the responsibilities for the two of us. If I were to look stupid in front of them, I'd lose the only thing that is left out for me: my pride. You're my friend, my companion who's been through the worst with me, but I fought for my life to be respected and I won't lose _that_." I put back the gun in its sheath and left the room, ashamed that I had to say that to him that crudely. He didn't deserve this, but these were desperate hours: I needed to be respected in order to make us survive.

I went back to my room to see that Flay had gone away. I sighed and sat on my bed, thinking deeply. But her voice resonated in my head and I couldn't let it go.

"_Protect me...protect Kira...protect the Archangel...and destroy them..."_

That phrase came over and over in my thoughts, trying to blind the sense of truth on my life. I had fought for something I wasn't even sure and I couldn't get out of anymore... **I don't know what to do anymore...**

"You seem lost in your thoughts, Kim..." said Flay, entering my room. I looked and her and smiled awkwardly, noticing she looked at the way I was dressed.

"I figured you would eventually need some underwear, so I got you some. Also...I wanted to thank you...for last night...I know I shouldn't have told you all those awful things, but...I felt like..."

"You don't have to justify yourself, Flay. You helped me get out the darkness in myself, too."

She looked down on the floor and smiled back. "I have to go back to the control room. See you later, Kim...Oh! I saw Kira, he was waiting for you..." she said, leaving the room.

**Holy fuck! I completely forgot about that kid!**

I dressed up very quickly, rushing my way out of the room and running in the corridor to catch up the elevator. I pressed on the lowest section of the Archangel, which was the hangar floor. I spun through the elevator door to run into the hangar, almost empty of people. The only one waiting was Kira, next to the Strike, looking at his watch.

"Kira! Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I didn't do it on purpose, I swear! I just...!"

"Kim, relax! Breathe I just got here! It's okay. Actually, you gave me time to think, so I'm not angry with you, just relax..." I bent down to take my breath, Kira tapping my back. I got back up, looking right through his indigo eyes.

"Kira, if your superiors were to know...about my mistake..."

"Don't worry, Kim… I won't tell them." I sighed from relieve and thanked him.

I looked up to the Strike and smiled at him. "How about I show you how it _really_ works?"

Time past by as I taught Kira how to maneuver the Strike efficiently, with all of the handles and different levers. He caught up quite fast since he was a coordinator, and sometimes took too much steps ahead. I knew he'd be a great pilot, but maybe he had to change the perspective of how he saw what was happening. I never said he was confused, but I said that, in order to win the war, he had to understand the situation better.

The night approached and Kira and I decided it was enough for today. He was tired and in the last hour of training, I swear I counted him yawning at least thirty times. He basically knew how his machine worked, but he needed a lot more time with it until he reaches full comprehension. I looked at my watch and it displayed 8: 43 PM. That day took a lot of my energy and I stretched out a bit, letting Kira shut down the Strike. I looked at my machine and wondered when I would be able to pilot it on Earth for the first time.

"There, I'm all done, Kim. I'm...going for some fresh air. Do you want to come with me?"

"No thanks, I'll go looking for Seth. I have to apologize to him."

He walked beside me towards the elevator.

"Why do you have to apologize?" he asked.

"I was mean to him this morning. You'll have to get used to those Kim-Seth fights."

"Oh, I see! I suppose your boyfriend deserves an apology, then."

"He's _not_ my **boyfriend**! Where did you get that idea?"

Kira smiled and scratched the back of his head nervously. I had him cornered.

"Well...I don't know! Commander LaFlaga told me you and him were very close...I supposed he meant something else. I'm sure he was wrong..."

"Fucking right he was wrong! I am not going out with Seth! He's just my friend."

"Alright, don't fuss about it! Man, you women drive us men crazy with all those burst-outs!"

After a gentle nudge on the head, Kira decided to go outside and run away from me. I went to my room and gathered my stuff that has been laying on the floor, in me messy pyramid at the center of the room. My black uniform was all folded up on the bed and my white boots were at opposite directions: one near the door and the other at the end of the room, near the bathroom door. I looked at my watch again and it displayed 9 PM. I could hear noises from the outside so I looked outside form my window to discover a base camp near the Archangel. Men were talking around a fire and they were not just waiting there: they had guns.

I decided to go outside and look for Seth. Maybe he was among the people outside, who knows. He wouldn't let a chance of drinking beer go by, anyway. I put on my Commander coat, which had been generously sowed by Flay after the runaway incident. I went out of my room and went to the deck level, where I descended the stairs to lead to the desert. The warm wind brushed my face and I let my long brown hair loose for a change. I could see the dunes of sand waving at my feet, dancing around my legs softly. This temperature right after sundown was the best. I walked to the bonfire and saw that woman that slapped Kira, yesterday. She was studying a map and taking a break on the rock. She seemed to have calmed down so I approached her.

"Hey, I didn't get the chance to catch your name, yesterday, and to apologize, also..." I started. She turned her head in my direction and smiled.

"It's okay. My name's Cagalli. I'm glad to finally speak to a girl who isn't a Kira fangirl..." **She must be talking about Flay.**

"Nice joke. Listen, do you want to go and take a walk? I haven't had a decent talk with someone of my gender for a long time." I said to her, offering a nice evening.

"Yeah, why not? After all, you don't seem so bad at all. Do you want to go to the village?" she asked me.

"There is a village around here? I thought it was just a helpless desert..."

"Ha ha! You're an outsider, am I right? You're a Natural too, I can tell."

"How can you tell I'm a Natural? I haven't told you yet." I asked her. She seemed fairly confident about her answer. She inspected my clothes and my uniform.

"That's an Earth Forces deviation of uniform. Also, you don't pilot a mobile suit the way a Coordinator would. How can I tell? It's very easy: the way they pilot is all over the place. They also use what weapon they feel like using, not thinking about the way to kill someone, but just killing them. You, on the other hand, fight with a lot of structure: your moves are calculated, your breath is calm and you just don't show any sign of anxiety, like a hesitation or something like that. No, you, my friend, are thinking of how death can be ugly. You decided meticulously of which weapon will cause the best kind of damage for the situation. You're something else. You and your friend, you must have the same kind of strategy when you're fighting."

**Wow. She knows a lot just by looking at one tiny fight.**

"You're right, I guess. My mobile suit was originally constructed for a Coordinator, not a Natural. That's why I move it differently from a Coordinator: we don't have the same way of thinking. Take Kira and I, for example: he didn't even think of changing his OS before entering the desert. Every good Coordinator would possibly think of that, but he didn't. He noticed, on the battlefield, that something was wrong by the way his Strike was moving. It was slow and dull. Immediately, he changed the OS, but he would not have to use my help if he thought of it the second he entered the Earth's atmosphere. He's new at this, though, so I'll take my time while teaching him."

She was shocked. "A Natural training a Coordinator? Ha, that's the best I've heard in years! You're one kind of girl, I'll tell you, Miss Desjardins."

"Call me Kim, Cagalli. Miss makes me feel old."

"Okay, Kim. I think...we could be great friends."

"I am thinking the same. So...did you want to show me the village?" I asked her.

"Sure, let me grab some stuff and I'll be with you.

I followed her to the base camp her group formed near the Archangel and we entered a tent. Well, I thought it was a tent, but my examinations turned out to reveal it was more of an HQ, with electricity and technology everywhere. Cagalli seemed to know about 90% of the hundreds of people inside that tent and she kept asking them "has there been any movement?" I thought they were spying on us or something, but I was later informed that they were a group of resistance fighters known as the Desert Dawn, who had been fighting for years against the army that attacked us with BuCues, the other night. They're leader, the Desert Tiger, also known as Andrew Waltfeld, had sent those machines to discourage the resistance and to capture the Archangel while he was at it.

I saw Murrue Ramius and Commander LaFlaga talking to the Desert Dawn's leader. Miss Badgiruel was inspecting a map and I could see injured people getting their wounds treated by medics. I guess that war against that Desert Tiger was ruthless to everyone. While everyone was trying their best, I was standing in the middle of the room, overwhelmed by the whole situation that wasn't supposed to matter to me. I was not doing so well either: I was having a rock on headache and I had to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Fuck this Cagalli, I can't stand it...too many people." I said to myself, exiting the crowned tent.

I went outside and saw something intriguing: Flay, who was apparently walking very fast to avoid Sai, was anxious. She seemed in a rough spot with Sai, because they were loudly screaming to each other. I hid behind a rock and couldn't help but not to be in my spot right that moment.

"Sai, don't you understand? It'll never work!" she said, darting her glare directly to him.

"Flay, let's talk about this like adults..."

"Kira!" I looked behind me to see what was happening, but I was caught off guard when I was poked on the shoulder. I turned around and gasped. It was Cagalli, who apparently was being a little shaken by the scene.

"What's happening? What are they arguing about?" she said in a whisper, but enough for me to hear.

"Probably something about a relationship... Listen, we're maybe not supposed to hear this..."

"Kim, this is the most exciting thing I've heard about in weeks, so shut up and listen!" she said, whispering a bit louder, trying to make her point.

"Kira, please tell him to stop following me...!" Flay said, grabbing Kira's arm.

Kira had put himself between Flay and Sai, obviously trying to shield Flay from harm.

"Please, Kira, I need to talk to Flay..." he said to him, but Kira didn't bulge.

"She clearly doesn't want to talk about it, Sai, so let this go." Said Kira.

"But..."

"I spent last night in Kira's room, Sai! _Don't you get it_? **I'm not attracted to you**!"

**Ouch... That's harsh….**

"Flay, listen to me...!" Sai moved his hand to reach Flay's but Kira took his arm and it quickly went from awkward to sad for us. Kira twisted his arm and kicked Sai's back so hard he landed about two meters from the couple.

"When she says she doesn't want to, it means _she doesn't want to_, do you **understand**?"

"...Kira!" Sai charged at the Coordinator, but Cagalli and I ran to Sai and grabbed him so he wouldn't hurt anyone. I pressure his back so much he fell on the ground, apparently crying from shame. Kira trembled and looked at what he had done: he made his best friend cry before him. His hands were intensely convulsing and Flay grabbed him tighter, also shocked by the scene.

"Don't touch me, Flay." Was all he said to her before entering the Archangel, alone. She quickly followed and I looked at Sai, who was still kneeling on the ground like a beaten dog.

"Hey, Sai...you can get up now...I just didn't want you to get hurt..."

"What is there so special about that _freak_? What more does he have that **I** don't?"

I couldn't answer. I wouldn't answer, knowing it wouldn't help the cause. He quickly escaped my grasp and I closed my eyes, rubbing my head vigorously.

"I don't have it with men...I really don't." I said to Cagalli, who put a hand on my shoulder.

"You did what what best for the situation, Kim...Let's go back..."

"_All hands to level 1 battle station! All hands to level 1 battle station! Commander LaFlaga, Kira Yamato and Seth Yoshiro are to immediately report to the hangar! I repeat, All hands to level 1 battle station!"_

I saw Commander LaFlaga rushing to the Archangel and I screamed to him:

"What's happening? Is there an attack?"

"The Village has been attacked! Where's your friend, Seth?"

I sighed. "I don't know. He probably answered the call."

"Alright, see you later! I have a Desert Tiger to butt kick!" said LaFlaga in a hurry, entering the Archangel as swiftly as a cat. I looked around me to see Cagalli, but she was running North, probably where the Village was. I saw a VTT and ran to it, turning the key in the ignition. The loud noise alerted Cagalli and she turned around. I spun the wheels and the vehicle stopped next to her.

"Want a ride?" She smiled.

"Yeah, but let's hurry! I sense something's going to go bad around here...!"

"You got it, hang on tight." I said to her, rushing the vehicle into the harsh sand, in direction of the explosion. I heard a loud noise up in the sky and I looked up: Seth and the Outpacer were also part of the rescuing team. He was waiting for the Skygrasper, who has just been ejected from the Archangel. He was safe: he was going in with LaFlaga. I was relieved he was okay, after what I said to him. The pilots flew to the smoking flames and we also hurried the pace.

"Why are you not in your mobile suit? I expect you have one with the talent you have."

I sighed and drove faster. "I...I am not allowed to do so."

"Why is that? Who is crazy enough not to let you fly alongside Kira and your friends?"

"The Captain. She doesn't trust me. Let's say that I wasn't very nice to her and the crew and that didn't help my case at all."

"I see it's hurting you so I won't go further with this conversation...What the...?"

She said, unable to finish her sentence. I looked with more attention and could see a crown, a growing crowd cuddled up near the burning village, massing the hot sand with a trampling. Seems...the citizens were able to escape! This is great news! I looked at Cagalli, who seemed very eager to jump off the desert vehicle. I we approached the scene, it looked like more and more people were able to be rescued and I sighed in relief. I saw Captain Ramius and Miss Badgiruel helping the injured and the mechanic crew also helped. The Desert Dawn we rallied to help and were carrying guns and heavy artillery: they meant business, by the looks of it.

"Get off, Cagalli. Go help your people." I said to her, giving her my permission to leave. She nodded silently and jumped off, running to the Leader of the Desert Dawn, probably to get the information clear. I stopped the car and got off, looking in the distance. Seth and Mu LaFlaga were scurrying the area, trying to leave no citizen into the inferno. Soon, they were finished and came back to the rescue spot. People around me were crying, bleeding, hurting, screaming and I closed my eyes to calm myself and to regain my inner focus. My heart ached at the sight of hurting children, who were crying in agony and of loss.

I tried to block mental images, but when I saw a newborn lying alone in the sand, I couldn't help but to run to it and pick it up, whipping his face of sand and blood. It didn't cry, only stared at me. It didn't move either, but seemed to be perfectly fine and healthy. The blood on his face must've been from someone else because he didn't have any injury, just mere scratches. The Outpacer and the Skygrasper landed silently and their respective pilot got out of their cockpit. Seth was wearing his emerald green, matching suit and his helmet. In the breaking dawn, he looked so...mysterious. When he got off his helmet, I swear I heard myself gasp at the sight of his face: in a matter of minutes, his expression went from the innocent and boyish to manly and rough with the war experience. This broke my heart multiple times and I couldn't help but to let a tear in vain. He caught the sight of my wrecking body, so he changed direction. **No! I can't let him see me like this, not with a baby and tears rolling down my cheeks!** I turned back and ran into the crowd, losing the sight of him. I didn't want to see this new part of him, the grown up side of my best friend.


	7. Phase 7

I ran back to Cagalli, lost, not knowing what to do. I've seen and I have experienced harsh realities, but none like this. This chaos was a bit too overwhelming: people were grabbing my coat, wanting me to help them. I did the best I can, calming their wounds with first aids but others claimed those treatments also. Soon, a crowd was attacking me with all their distress and I was being grabbed, touched and pleaded. This was too much to bear. I had to run away. I made my way through the crowd and escaped their angry grasps in a hurry. I fell on the ground, my face hitting the harsh sand, scratching and bruising my pale skin. The baby started squirming under my weight and let out a sad cry. It probably wanted its parents, so I tried to look for someone who looked like it lost its child. But everyone was so upset and so angry, I couldn't decipher their faces or emotions as I walked past them. I re-joined with Cagalli with the baby still unhappy, but not crying. When she finally saw me, she gasped.

"Where did you get a baby? Was it lost?" she asked.

"I'm not quite sure...I'm certain it's lost because I found it in the sand...Do you know...?"

But I didn't have time to finish my sentence she took the baby from me and handed it over to a woman, who probably was a caretaker.

"That woman reunites lost children, Kim. That child is going to be okay. Now I need you to do something I wouldn't ask anyone but you, Kim."

"Yeah, what is it? I'm glad I can help..."

"I need you to locate the Desert Tiger. Tonight, if it's possible. It's an emergency state, here. If you can locate him, we'll be able to finish him off. If we're not able to defeat him and his team...we'll work for him until...let's say we'll be prisoners."

"Does...my Captain know about that? Maybe that would be something useful, if you know what I mean...Also, I already told you, I want my superiors to trust me, I just can't go out at night and..."

"Kim. It's for my people. I knew you would react this way, but it's not only for my people, but for your people too. Your crew is affected by this crisis as well. Your friends can die and... Seth might perish too if something's not done. I beg of you. We fight this war because the Desert Tiger took the Mining Field, east of here. We want it back: it's the only thing that keeps my people here. It's our way to dominate and not be dominated. It's our survival."

I closed my eyes and sighed. **This was way out of my hands. I just...can, and that makes me furious because I was told I could not...What is wrong with being able to make a difference?**

"I'll do it, just give me ten minutes. I'll get out of the Archangel by then."

I ran to the vehicle I used earlier, when LaFlaga rushed to me and tapped my shoulder.

"Kim! We got orders! It's daybreak already, so it applies now! We'll fight the Desert Tiger when we see the full sun! I talked to the Captain, so get the Valliant now!" was my chance

"Understood."

He went back to the military tent, running.

**This makes my job easier, thanks Captain. It's not daybreak just yet, so I have...about two hours before the attack begins. It's enough time to locate the bastard and to have a little chat with him, if I get a glimpse of him.**

I started the desert truck and immediately went to the Archangel. Went I stopped, I jumped off the car, hurried inside from the personnel entry and ran to the elevator. My breathing was accelerated by the adrenaline and I pressed the lowest level button. When the elevator touched the floor, the doors opened and I ran out like a bullet. Murdoch was waiting, on standby, when he caught glimpse of me.

"Miss Desjardins, what are you doing here? What're the orders?"

"We are to attack at sun rise, but I need the Valliant right now! Make the preparations and open the hatch so I can get out without hurting the Archangel this time!"

"Who gave you the orders?" he asked me. I was looking directly at him.

"Trust me, it's Commander LaFlaga!"

The mechanics installed the manual stairs so I could get up to the Valliant. The white indigo mobile has been there for a long time, too long to my taste.

"Hey buddy, long time no see... We are going out today!" I said to the Valliant, perfectly knowing it couldn't answer me back. It just felt good to talk to someone who would always listen to you.

I open the cockpit and programmed the Valliant before taking off. On the screen, G.U.N.D.A.M was clearly visible and I started the engine. I was ready to go.

"Murdoch, open the hatch, now!"

"Understood, just don't break the doors again, or I'll kick your ass, girl!"

The Valliant was attached and elevated to the hatch floor on the platform. A formidable push expulsed us out of the Archangel and I was free once again. It felt so good to be back in the mobile suit I called mine, it was like I was whole once more. Now, to the most important mission today: find the Desert Tiger.

The Valliant was the most powerful thing I've ever experienced in my life: it was solid, it was equipped and it was the last thing Captain DuFlamme ever gave to me. It had, with it, powerful memories of numerous battles and missions I had to succeed through in order to gain the elite status of Commander. And there it was, still flying with me, lost in time.

I passed the high dunes and reached a canyon where the rock was a greyish brown and where the Desert Dawn couldn't reach anymore. It was what they called the Mines Fields. Along that area were long sandy bushes and it seemed ravaged by nature itself damaged by erosion. High cliffs and a lot of sandy air showed sign of no vacancy for anyone...except ZAFT.

The Valliant's radar beeped and I looked at the map to see a clinging red dot. It must be the mother ship of the Desert Tiger, or something of the sort. I silently flew over it and hurried the Valliant behind the ship. My tentative failed, though: they retraced me without any problem, sending a chilling alarm through my ears. In an instant, the Valliant and I were connected to the mother ship through satellite communication.

"This is Martin DaCosta, Commander of the Tresseps! Identify yourself, pilot!"

"My name is Kim Desjardins, pilot of the Valliant, part of the Archangel crew, responding to your question." I answered.

"Make a descent, right now! You are charged with...What?" he said, unable to finish.

"Excuse me, DaCosta? Were you...talking to me?" I asked him, confused.

"Pilot of the Valliant, my Captain is asking you to make a descent and land your mobile suit next to the Tresseps. My Captain, Andrew Waltfeld wishes to have a talk with you. Descend now!"

**Bingo! They fell right for it.**

The Valliant descended slowly, without making any noise. Its feet touched the heavy sand in a matter of second and I shut it off, putting the Heavy Weight protection on. If they were going to take me in, they wouldn't be able to bring the Valliant with them.

I opened the cockpit and I saw men rushing with guns, circling the Valliant, and I in the process. I took the cable the elevated cable from my mobile suit and put my feet in its hole, holding on the rope. I descended to see an enormous mother ship, smaller than the Archangel, but big still. When I reached the ground level, several guns were pointed at me and I got my hands up.

"I am harmless, ladies. Please lower your guns, if you think it may seem possible." I said to them, which seemed to anger them even more.

"Oh please guys! It's a joke! Next time you go to the PLANTS, buy a little sense of humor!" I said, but the men were even angrier, even so that one man pushed his gun on my temple.

"Gentlemen, put your guns down, immediately." Said a stern voice. Everyone turned around to reveal a tall man. He had sandy brown hair and piercing eyes. I took a step back, but he smiled to me.

"It seems, Miss, that you didn't come here to fight." He said, in a calm voice.

"Indeed, someone's smart here. If I attacked, you'd be dead anyway." I said to him, making him snort out with laughter.

"You're funny, girl. Men, leave us alone. We are going in, you know, just to have a little talk."

"That's what I wanted to hear, thank you, Mr. Waltfeld."

"Dear, I'm flattered you know my name! This is an honor. My name is Andrew Waltfeld, Captain of this ship. You also heard about the Desert Tiger, am I right? Well, that's me, also."

"I...figured that out, already. Yeah, last time, I wiped your men's ass in about...a minute. _Very_ intimidating, Desert Tiger."

"I like you. Come in, I'll escort you so we can have tea." He said, turning his back to me, re-entering his ship. I was pushed by his guards in, with a bit of a rush, I must say. They put me and the Desert Tiger inside the elevator and from then, I had no choice but to follow him. I memorized every aspect of this ship that I saw: it would help my escape later.

He pressed on the second floor button and I looked at him with an intrigue look.

"I am not going to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. You're way too valuable for that." He simply said, winking. I turned my head in opposite directly, feeling very weird about our encounter. Finally, to my relief, the elevator doors opened and we could step out. I followed him into a cozy living room where he made me sit. He would not talk, only stare. After a moment, I was tired to be looked at, so I snapped.

"If you like watching me so, why don't you just take a picture?"

"Don't be hostile. I would like to remind you that you came here to talk to me?

"Yes, your assumptions were good. I wanted to have a talk with you."

A minute later, a beautiful woman brought tea to us. The woman, who was very nicely dressed, kissed Andrew and gave him a wink. I sighed and looked away, holding my cup of tea in silence. She went away a few seconds later and left us alone.

"That was Aisha, my fiancée. She's very nice."

"And I could care less. Seriously, dude, I came here to talk, not to be invited to your wedding."

"Okay, stop being a brat. Talk, if that's what you want."

"Thank you. I came here today because...Oh, by the way, tell them it's useless to try to embark the Valliant, I put the Heavy Lock on. They move it, they are dead."

I said, looking out of the window, seeing his men try to lift the mobile suit with a lot of difficulty. He laughed and took a sip of his cup of tea.

"You're full of surprises, Miss Desjardins. I must say I'm impressed."

I was about to resume my speech when the sliding door opened to reveal two young men about my age in red uniform. One had curly blond hair and a very appealing tan while the other one had very pale greyish hair and a pearl white skin with blue eyes. His features struck my eyes. **ZAFT Elite pilots...Interesting.**

"Excuse me, Mr. Waltfeld, but do you have any mission for us? Sorry to say it like that, but we're sitting ducks here and your ship sucks monkey balls." Said Blondie, with annoyance in his voice.

"Don't you see, gentlemen, that I'm having a talk with a very special someone?" he said, also proving to be annoyed. I sighed and got up, facing the two red uniform pilots. The blonde one didn't reply and the other one glared at me, for some reason. Andrew Waltfeld made a hand gesture, presenting me to his fellow subordinates.

"Oh, I see! Yes, you were right...She looks very special alright." Said Blondie, gazing at me.

"Dearka, would you stop eye-screwing every single woman that just looks at you?" said the other one. **Dearka...where did I hear that name...? **I snapped. _**Jesus!**_** They're the pilots that attacked the Archangel in space! Oh man, how **_**wrong **_**can this be? If they recognize me, this could be very ugly...**

"Well, sir, are you going to introduce us? Said Dearka, grinning at me with his perverted eyes.

"Mr. Elsman, Mr. Joule, this is Kim Desjardins, now if you'll excuse us, we would like..."

"Kim..._Desjardins_? I'm sure I heard that weird name before..." **What?**

"My name is not _weird_! Who the hell are you to judge my name?" I saw in his colleague a glimpse of understanding and of recognizing.

"Dearka, it's that bitch we met in _space_! She was protecting the Archangel along with that Kira kid and her friend, Seth something!"

"About time you caught up, dimwit." I said to him.

"Yeah, Yzak... Oh! I recognize that sexy Italian accent! Yes, I remember!"

"It's not Italian, it's French, you **moron**!" I said to him.

"Even better..." he said, but Yzak gave him a nudge on the head.

"It's about time I see you again, wench! Let me tell you something you'll never forget...I will never forgive you for putting such a humiliation on us, that day! You shall pay, right here, right now!"

"_Oh please_, I already defeated in mobile suit combat, would you want me to also kick your ass in _hand to hand_ combat?" I said, turning my back on him.

"Why you...!"

"Okay soldiers...it's about time you guys stop now... You are making yourselves look like complete turds…"

"I don't _give_ a **fuck**!" we both said in unison. Yzak and I, let's say it bluntly, were having one hell of a time. Arguing, pointing fingers, blaming each other, nudging and pushing were part of the menu.

"You goddamn Coordinators! I can't stand the likes of you! So arrogant all the time and they don't even know how to fight! The one with the biggest mouth is always the lousiest one, and in this case, that happens to be _you_!"

"You damn your own race, you pathetic fool? How can you betray us with such a proud look on your face? You're a disgrace to us, Coordinators!"

"Say that to someone who cares, prick!"

"Don't make me hit you, bitch!"

"Okay, stop! You guys are _both_ imbeciles! Yzak, what the **hell**? You never went out on someone like that! What's your problem? And you, pretty lady, don't you think you can get away with this just because you're hot! If you're a Coordinator, then prove that you're one and join us!" screamed Dearka, very, very annoyed. The Desert Tiger was softly sleeping on the couch while we were arguing, but was abruptly awaken by my flying cup of tea that landed right beside his head. My target was that moron Yzak, by the way.

_"This is nuts...!"_ he said, looking at the three teenagers while dodging kitchen objects.

"I have no intention of joining you, end of the line."

"That girl has been bewitched by the Naturals..." said a muttering Yzak.

"What did you say, Yzak, I didn't quite understand you...?" I said to him, venom shooting out of my words.

"I said you've been brainwashed by those damn Naturals, girl! This is unlikely to happen with Coordinators!"

"Don't you get the _fucking_ point? I am **not** a **Coordinator**! I'm a _Natural_!"

There was an awkward silence in the room. No one talked. I could listen to the breathing of the three Coordinators standing before me. The Desert Tiger had a shock expression on his face, Dearka was clutching his head in confusion and Yzak was...well, he was made of stone.

"Now can I _finally_ pass the goddamn message to Andrew Waltfeld **before** I leave here without saying something that will affect all of us?" There was no response. I looked at Andrew who didn't seem he could talk after that shocking revelation.

"I came here because I wanted to give you a warning, Desert Tiger: in about thirty minutes, the Archangel and the Desert Dawn will attack you and your mother ship. I am ready to accept an apology from you guys. If you surrender right now, no harm will be caused to your mother ship or your mobile suits, but just so you know: if you don't accept my offer, we will locate you, we _will_ fight you, and we _will_ **kill** you. Is that clear? Should I take out a piece of paper so you, Mr. Waltfeld, can write your own declaration of defeat? Or should I just go right now and annihilate you later?"

He sighed and laughed quietly.

"I knew you were different from the lot, Kim. I noticed, from afar, how strangely you fought my men. I never quite expected that you were a Natural, but just merely under the influence of alcohol during your last fight with the BuCues. You movements were like the ones of a drunken old man: unreadable, all over the place, flexible and simply amazing. I never saw anything like it: it was like watching a new episode of a dead old American soap: simply touching. Yes, your moves touched my heart in a way no one ever did. I couldn't predict what you were about to do. When you move your mobile suit, it's as if you are swimming in the ocean: graceful, delicate, calculated, fluid movements made you win that battle. However..."

"Is there a "but"?" I asked him.

"I am afraid there is." He continued. "We, ZAFT, will never surrender to you. You may think you can out number us, but you got it wrong, girl. We'll outnumber you without any hesitation. You tell that to your superiors, alright? I am grateful you talked to me about this, though. Naturals aren't so bad at all, just a bit _too_ stubborn."

"Well I'm the most glad this meeting is over, Desert Tiger. I will surely see to our battle."

"We'll see you for sure. It's been a very weird conversation, though."

I nodded and parted, looking straight in Yzak's blue eyes. Even though he was an arrogant jerk, a pathetic asshole of the worst class and cold heartless bastard, his eyes were breath taking. The faint glow of their angst, the strength of their gaze, the depth of their abyss, it subconsciously made me blush. I took my stare away from him and he smirked.

"What were you looking at, girl?"

"Nothing, I merely looked at you. Is that a problem? I find you handsome; I'd take it as a compliment. When a woman looks at you, generally, you smile back. I hope you'll remember next time."

I walked past him and he grabbed my arm with a strong grasp.

"Are you mocking me, bitch? Look at my _face_!" I looked at his face, finally noticing his deadly scar. I traced his jawbone slowly, then moving to the diagonal scar with my eyes. Even with the misfortune of this battle scar, his face was still...beautiful.

"I am **not** mocking you. If you would be so kind to let my arm..."

"I saw it: disgust. I saw it in your eyes when you looked at me!"

"You're a pitiful liar, Yzak. If I were to say something about you that is disgusting, it would probably be your attitude."

That's seemed to shock him a bit. I guess he didn't expect me to answer something like that.

"You Coordinators have a problem in common: you think you could be better, but you don't see that genetically, you're la crème de la crème. You're just pissing the world off, gentlemen."

I exited the room and left them to think about my last words. That Yzak...he...stained me with his deep blue gaze. I clutched my hand on my heart and tried to forget his blue orbs. I tried to forget the sound of his voice, the angriness of his speech...the pain in his eyes. He marked my memory with a blue ribbon of stomach butterflies. I could feel my breath as been taken by his presence because I was out of air. I took a deep breath and tried for the last time to forget his face...in vain. His elegant Coordinator body, his silvery white hair, his strong hands, the distant smell of his cologne, the hesitance when he touched my arm, the pain in his face when he talked to me...I would not forget easily. I got on the elevator and escaped my silk like thoughts to face the Valliant once again in all of its splendor, outside, in the desert sunlight.

I got aboard and started the engine of my mobile suit, slowly elevating in the arid air. I looked at the cockpit window of the Tresseps and I thought I could end it right here and right now, but...Yzak...he was still on board probably looking at the Valliant right now. Everything in me ordered my body to press the laser gun button, but my heart couldn't resign to it. I have been thought to let nothing invade my mind, nothing to break my spirit and my concentration, but again, my feelings wouldn't let me destroy the only moment that made me feel like a free woman and that would be my first sight of Yzak. Even Seth didn't cause me such a trauma when I met him. Of course, I love Seth with all of my heart, that will never change...He was the reason I was alive, but I knew deep down that my heart had a new aspiration of itself, even thought I would never accept it: I had to see him once more.


	8. Phase 8

The Valliant pierced through the sky as I approached the Archangel, who was already in a state of battle preparation. I only had a small window of time to explain to the Captain, Murrue Ramius, why I took the Valliant and report what happened between the Desert Tiger and I. I entered the Archangel's hangar and stationed the Valliant next to the Strike and LaFlaga's Skygrasper. Automatically, wires attached to the Valliant, resupplying its energy and its fuel. I got the down the indigo mobile suit with the descent cord and ran past the mechanics, who wondered where I had been all this time. I could see from the bay window of the elevator that the sun was about to rise and the stars vanishing from the early blue sky. It was time to attack the ZAFT forces of the desert, led by the Desert Tiger and I was afraid they weren't going to let me pilot because of my recent actions towards the crew, judged unfriendly and dangerous by the officers at the main deck. Only Captain Ramius seemed to understand my situation and was the only one who, perhaps, was ready to give me a second chance at changing our situation. I ran past Kira, who was preparing to embark the Strike to begin the assault. "Kim, where were you? The crew is at level 1 battle station already! Aren't you coming with me to the hangar?" he asked.

"I have to go talk to the Captain and I am not sure they'll let me pilot again, Kira… If I can't pilot today, I shall keep you company with radio transmission and try to guide you through this. Of course, it would be easier for me to look after you in the actual fight… I'm losing time, get ready!" I said to him, directing myself to the main bridge. I was nervous and twitchy. Seth must've been already down on the lower level, making the final preparations on the Outpacer for him and his machine to fly. He was still a little fragile from the intense fever he had a couple days ago, but he never were the person to miss out on the action, no matter how sick he got. When I reached the automated doors of the main bridge, I felt a little tinge inside of me. **What if they reject my help to them? Will I possibly watch the death of my friends? I can't let this happen. **I pressed on the electric display and it quickly opened the sliding doors of the main bridge, showing a determined captain giving orders to her subordinate. I slowly entered the room, trying not to break Murrue Ramius's concentration as she was preparing the battle strategy. As Natarle Badgiruel noticed my presence, Murrue turned around and looked at me as she was displeased with me. "Where were you, young lady and where was the Valliant? Did you take it out by yourself, without any permission?" she asked, her eyes set with anger.

"I must say, madam, that I had no official orders coming from the officials of the Archangel." I remembered the conservation with Cagalli, last night, about saving human lives and the choices we had to make in order to do so. I had acted on my own accord and pretended it was Commander LaFlaga's orders to deceive Murdoch. "I took the Valliant out and instigated, on my own will, the intentions of the Desert Tiger for today's battle. I know that I am responsible for my misbehaving conduct and I am sorry for trespassing you authority, Captain…" As Badgiruel was about to send me to my death, Murrue stopped her in her tracks and continued her interrogation.

"What do you mean by investigation? What did you do, exactly?" she asked. I really no reason to lie to her about my early morning excursion. I wouldn't be able to lie anyway. "I took the Valliant into the sky and tried to locate the mother ship of the ZAFT forces, led by the Desert Tiger. I did locate them and I shall divulge any information you want. Also… I talked to him." Murrue gasped as Badgiruel sent glares in my direction. That woman sure did hate me. "What did you two talk about? What was the point of alerting the Desert Tiger of our plans?!"

"I simply stated that we were to attack at any given time and that he should abandon the hopes of ever achieving his goals in this desert and to leave the premises as soon as possible. I also said that we would destroy him, his military and his machines and we would use any given strategy to crush his influence on this land. I also know for a fact that they don't use a whole lot of machines to fight. I stepped inside their mother ship and only saw a moderate number of mobile suits, which reassured me. I know their location, the strength they have and I do know for a fact that we'll encounter the bunch of Elites fighters we encountered in space." Murrue's eyes glimmered with a little bit of hope. I knew she wanted to know about the enemy's strength and their plan. "I also ask for you to grant me permission to use, once again, the Valliant to serve under your forces. I know I have disappointed you, Captain, but I just… I just want to fight." I said. Badgiruel wanted to interrupt once again, but she refrained from doing so after Murrue raised her hand to stop her.

"You have proven yourself to be one sly pilot, Kim Desjardins. You have trespassed my authority more than I care to remember and you have a heavy past of being, well, of being your usual bossy, angry self. I will, however, grant you permission to fight with your mobile suit. I don't have a choice, anyway: our forces are so low on numbers that refusing a pilot such as yourself would mean our destruction." I was about to say thank you when Mu LaFlaga erupted on the main bridge and exclaimed: "They're retreating! They moved farther into the territory and Kira pushed them away! The kid was amazing!" he said. I was impressed. A kid that could push away an entire platoon of men was indeed incredible. Murrue was speechless and Badgiruel smiled for the first time since I met her. She thanked me again and I was dismissed very quickly. I ran out the main bridge and headed towards my quarters, where I could lay down and sleep. I took a peaceful nap for about an hour before Seth woke me up saying we were allowed to go to the next city, which was rumoured to be quite beautiful and lively. After all the destruction we've been through, a little fresh air and free time would prove to be nice. But the better for me was to stay on the ship and listen Seth ranting about his exploits on the battlefield and why he was a better pilot than me, which, of course, amused me. In any case, Kira and Cagalli were already sent to town for some research so the Archangel needed Seth and I to stay on board in case anything would happen.

Hours passed and Seth and I were getting restless, stuck in a room with no way to occupy our minds except to talk about the past and the fact that Seth caught Mu LaFlaga staring at the Captain's breasts earlier that day. We had heard by Flay that Kira and Cagalli weren't back from their trip to town and I got worried. I had attached myself to the brown haired Coordinator and the blond haired young woman. I would be upset and disturbed if anything happened to them. We decided to join with the Captain on the battle bridge to know what was the plan she laid out for us until Kira and Cagalli came back. We opened the sliding doors and it looked like a panic was set in the room. Murrue Ramius was on the phone with someone, stressing about her crewmembers gone missing. "What do you mean our men are not in sight? Why can't you contact Lieutenant Badgiruel to see where she is? I mean, she went to get supplies, right? She wouldn't be in danger now, would she…? And what about Kira and Cagalli? Why aren't they back, like they were supposed to? _What do you mean they were attacked in the city and taken to Andrew Waltfeld's residence?! _I want someone on their tails right now and don't let them out of your sight, is that clear?" she hung up the phone so hard Seth and I gasped out of horror. She turned around and sighed.

"What's going on, Captain? We are prepared to head out with our mobile suits in pursuit if you need us to." Said Seth, approaching Murrue. She was stressed out and it seemed part of her crewmembers were gone missing or attacked. "I don't really know what to do… Lieutenant Badgiruel was sent to discuss financial matters with the locals, but hasn't returned yet. It never was in her personality to disobey and to trespass higher authority. In addition, Kira and Cagalli might be hurt, in the city. For all I know, a squad of renegades attacked them and then Andrew Waltfeld, the Desert Tiger, took them to an unknown location… I just want thing to return to normal…" she sighed.

"It wouldn't be beneficial for us to take out the Outpacer and the Valliant outside just yet. After all, they might have taken Kira and Cagalli as hostages and want us to surrender in order for us to have them back. A military solution should be out of the question for now…" I said, looking at Seth. Murrue Ramius put her head in her hands and questioned herself for the right solution. She was tired and her companions weren't there. Suddenly, we heard the phone ring and she quickly picked it, smiling. "Thank god, Lieutenant. Alright, we will wait for you." She hung up and smiled. "Lieutenant Badgiruel was having difficulty negotiating with the locals for military supplies, but she's fine and on her way back." Finally, the Captain loosed up a bit and relaxed in her captain's chair. The only ones left to come back were Kira and Cagalli.

In the late afternoon, they came back with a ZAFT military vehicle and parked it in the Archangel hangar, everyone there to welcome them back and to express their worry. Flay jumped in his arms and I nudged his arm, showing him he had me sick with worry in a friendlier manner. He grunted and headed directly for his chambers, Flay behind him and harassing the poor boy while Cagalli met the rest of Kira's friends, the ones working on the bridge.

As the days passed by, I wondered where my plan to get Seth and I out of ZAFT territory was going. We hadn't moved in ages and there was no sight of battle with the ZAFT forces commanded by the Desert Tiger. The wait proved to be unbearable after all this time in the desert. I was about to fall asleep on my bed when I was pulled out of my station and on the ground by some violent shakings throughout the Archangel, like something had just exploded right outside the door. I rose up quickly and headed outside by bedroom, to the hangar. The Archangel was under attack and I quickly put my pilot uniform. Miriallia's voice was heard aboard the Archangel in a state of panic. "All hands to level 1 battle station! I repeat; all hands to level 1 battle station! Engaging the Tresseps! Commander LaFlaga, Kira Yamato, Seth Yoshiro and Kim Desjardins are to immediately report to the hangar!" I ran as fast as I could and bumped in Seth while opening the doors to the elevator. He smiled and we descended to the hangar level, where the Outpacer and the Valliant were waiting for us, still in repair. Murdoch was ordering people around while Mu was already being prepared for take-off with the Skygrasper. As he was about to launch, Kira came to me in a state of distress. He seemed worried about something. "Kira, what's happening? Why aren't you in your cockpit already? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Kim, last time I've fought with the Desert Tiger, something inside of me snapped and I wasn't able to keep control over my thinking… I just… It just felt so wrong but so natural… Do you know what I'm talking about? I mean, have you experienced it before? I mean, this uncontrollable urge… to destroy everything?" He asked. I frowned.

"Yeah, well it's natural to want to kill your enemies, Kira, this is why we pilot and other people don't. It's a necessary sacrifice, I'm sure you understand. The only thing I can say to you is to keep your head cool and never do something you think you can't do. Don't push too hard, you'll tire yourself, in the head, I mean. Now go, we'll talk later!" I said, pushing him away, sending him in the Strike's cockpit. Seth sighed and hurried into the Outpacer's cockpit, setting the machine alive. I also directed myself into the Valliant's cockpit, knowing I would be last to launch. I had time to think about Kira's question so I sat and closed my eyes while Seth was put on the launching platform. Kira and Seth were now out of the hangar and the Valliant was mechanically placed on the launching platform as well, wired to the Archangel, ready to be thrown in the hands of the enemy. "You can launch when you're ready, Kim!" said Miriallia. There was no time to lose now.

"Kim Desjardins, Valliant, I'm taking off!" I said, pulling the speed lever of the Valliant and being propelled in the air by the Archangel's powerful catapult launch system. When I reached the outdoors, the battle was already raging and the Archangel was defending itself the best it could, managing to scrape by while the machines it sent out and their pilots were analysing the situation. "I will take care of the aircrafts the Tresseps had sent out! You guys take care of the BuCues and shut their lights out!" said Commander LaFlaga, heading higher in the sky. The small aircrafts were indeed small but really annoying and LaFlaga deemed it was worth his time to destroy them while we took care of the real deal, meaning the pack of BuCues heading towards us at an alarming speed. Seth was the first to plunge towards the dog like mobile suits and I approached Kira, knowing he would be nervous to pilot, after what he said to me. "Don't worry, Kira. As long as I am here, you'll be fine. I got our back." I said to him, earning a thank you in return.

I could see down below the renegades resistance moving onwards and Cagalli, as their leader, in the leading vehicle, along with her allies. She was heading towards a battle she could lose her life in but she wasn't scared to lose everything she held most dear in her heart. Her ambitions were stronger. I had to do the same. I headed lower down to join Seth and Kira into the fight and slammed an enemy's BuCue on the ground, destroying it in the process. "Thanks Kim! I was kind of stuck with this one…" said Seth, taking out the Outpacer's laser sword. I could see from a distance that Kira was having a drawn out battle with an orange BuCue of ZAFT, but this one mobile suit more equipped and was moving with much more experience than the others. I knew it: it was the Desert Tiger's mobile suit. As I pressed the speed pedal, Kira spoke to me: "Kim, I want to do this on my own! I'll call if I need your help! Let me do this!" he asked. I nodded silently, knowing he wanted to fight and to test his abilities against Andrew Waltfeld and that was fine. Fighting against the enemy's machines made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile for the human race, like I was fighting to protect it. It made me forget who I was for a single moment. Suddenly, Murrue Ramius's voice was heard through the Archangel's pilots cockpits.

"To all pilots! Another ship has appeared on the battlefield and it's harbouring the Duel and the Buster! I urge you to proceed with caution! We shall push the ship as far away from here as possible, but you have to take care of the two mobile suits!" I gasped. That meant… It meant he was here…! "Seth, you and I will take care of the Duel and Buster! It'll be like a little rematch, what do you think?" I asked him.

"Oh man! This is awesome! We get to kick their butts for good this time, right?" I smiled. He was such an idiot, but still, it felt good to have him around. As I headed towards the hidden ship, probably the mother ship in command, the second Skygrasper assigned to the Archangel surfaced and I looked around to see what was happening. I contacted Murrue as soon as I got the chance. "Captain Ramius! Who's piloting the second Skygrasper? No one on board is experienced enough to pilot it!" I said to her. Her reply was dim.

"The one who is currently piloting the Skygrasper is Cagalli. I asked Commander LaFlaga to keep an eye on him. Don't worry about her, she'll be fine, Kim." She said. Well, there wasn't anything she could say to make this alright, but I had to trust her judgment. I barely had time to shoot down another BuCue and turn around that the Archangel was in a severe position, hunted down by the Buster's powerful cannons. I had to do something about these two, for the Archangel was doomed. "Seth! Leave the BuCues to Commander LaFlaga! We have to take down the Buster and the Duel!" He nodded and we swiftly pulled our mobile suits in the opposite direction, heading towards the mother ship the Duel and the Buster were standing on. The Archangel shot the Gottfrieds towards the enemy ship and managed to land a hit on the valiants beams. The Buster and the Duel had no choice but to land in the sand, where they were stuck and powerless. "Seth, they have no idea they have to change their OS system! This is perfect! Take the Buster down! I'll look for the Duel!"

"This is it, buddy!" screamed Seth as he lunged towards the Buster, his laser sword in motion. In defence, the Buster released several beams of positron energy towards the Outpacer, evaded by Seth. I couldn't see the Duel anywhere. Unless…! I quickly looked up and there it was, ready to slice me down to pieces, falling from the sky like an asteroid. "You won't escape from me, girl!" I managed to pull the Valliant out of the sand and also took out its laser sword.

"If this is what you want, a fight to the death then let it be!" I said back to him. I flew to the Duel and crushed his sword against mine, the Valliant overpowering the Duel in a matter of seconds. His engine was already damaged by the Archangel's attacks, but the pilot refused to budge. "I will never fall in the hands of a Natural! Not on my life!" The Duel was about to ram its sword into my cockpit when suddenly, something inside of me snapped. It was ugly, I felt it, but it was so strong I couldn't evade it. I took out the Valliant's dagger and ran it through the Duel's shoulder, making the pilot stand back. I looked at the fuel board of the Valliant and it displayed a very low energy level, making this an even more difficult situation.

I took out the Valliant's Gottfried laser gun and shot multiple times, hitting and landing ever single one of them on the Duel, Yzak taking every hit. "I'm never going to give up, not even for this! _You're a shame to all Coordinators_! You don't **deserve** this win!" The last bit of sanity I had just vanished and I flew towards the Duel, who was sinking deep in sand, to slice through the head and the upper body of the Duel, which seemed to be ready to be destroyed. I could feel my blood pumping and the salty taste of tears rolling down my cheeks as I punched the Duel's cockpit, trying to destroy it with the remaining energy the Valliant had left. I was beginning to cave in and I took out the remaining dagger of the Valliant and saw, through the cockpits outside monitor Yzak's blue eyes shining with fear. The knife was about to go down and every fibre in my body screamed for revenge, but my heart refused to let this happen. The pulse in my head wasn't fading away and the nerves got the best of me and I was about to do the one thing I didn't want to do, which was to kill the silver haired pilot. But the Valliant was indeed in motion and only seconds left were separating Yzak from death. I closed my eyes and screamed. Nothing happened.

I opened my eyes again and felt back to normal, my heart beat calming down, the knife two meter away from the Duel's already damaged cockpit. My whole body was trembling and the Outpacer arrived just in time, pulling the Valliant away from the Duel and took me back to the Archangel. I fell asleep to the sound of the explosion caused by the Desert Tiger's mobile suit explosion.


	9. Phase 9

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

My mobile suit, the Valliant, was intensely damaged: the arms were almost ripped off the body, the red-eyed head was torn and the legs were pretty much done with. When the medics got me off the Valliant, I wasn't sure of my state: I was feverish and nauseated. Seth was walking beside the medics, who had already put me on a gurney. I could only see the nervous look on his face. "Seth...who... the Desert Tiger..." I tried to explain who had killed him but even the medics didn't even know what I was talking about. Seth, being my friend for so long, already had finished my sentence. "Kira did it." He simply said. "I knew...he could..." I said, falling into a dreamless night.

When I woke up, I was in the medical wing of the Archangel and lying on a white bed. I looked around: there were needles, scalpels and a foul smell. I sit up and drank the glass of water that was left for me on the little table beside my bed. My eyes were itchy from all my sleeping and my body was sore all over. I must've had a pretty rough fight with those ZAFT Elites. Quite frankly, I couldn't remember the exact details of what happened and I thought it'd be best that way. I stood up and got my hair in a ponytail. I looked out the window and gasped: no more fucking sand! We had finally reached the Red Sea, where Seth and I had planned to cross! "Awesome! Holy shit, I'm so happy! _**No more sand**_!" Without any hesitation, I got out of the medical wing, ran to my room, changed into shorts and a t-shirt and headed to the exterior platform, where I could breathe the salty air of the sea.

My body seemed to be completely revived from all the sleep I could have and I was just a ball of energy. I could stop skipping around and running. I stopped at the empty cafeteria and grabbed a quick snack. After I ate, I headed to the platform. I could already feel the heat of the summer sun in the air. **This is so nice.** I noticed that not even Flay stayed inside. I passed Seth's room and Kira's, but no one was there. When I reached the sliding doors leading outside, I sighed. **I remember the weather back home... **_**And**_** it's nothing like this.** I opened the doors and let the sun gleam on my face, making my dark brown hair shine. The heat coming from the warm wind make my body shiver in excitement.

"Kim! What are you doing here?" said Seth, who was apparently enjoying the nice weather too. I finally opened my eyes to see that Seth, Kira, Flay, Miriallia and Todd were outside, tanning. My happy bubble was popped when set grabbed me by the arm and tried to get me inside. "You're supposed to be resting! Come on, I'll take you back to your room..." I jerked away my arm, unwilling. "No way! I'm staying here and there's nothing you can do about it, Seth." He looked sad.

"Are you sure you're feeling better...? I wouldn't want you to..." I hugged him, which seemed to surprise him very much. My hands were on his toned back and I rested my head on his wide shoulder. "I am fine. I needed to take a fresh breath of air. After all, it's the first time I get to see the ocean." I said to him. We parted and he brought me on the side of the platform where I could admire this giant salty puddle of water. Dolphins were jumping beside the Archangel, which was calmly gliding through the waves. **This is worth a million fights...**

I looked back at Kira: he was sitting on a towel, his arm kidnapped by Flay. She was resting his head on his shoulder and smiled at me. "Kim! I'm glad you're alright!" she said, waving. I smiled back at her and got closer to Seth. The sliding doors opened again and a nice figure appeared in the doors frame. **It's Cagalli!**

"Cagalli? I didn't know you joined the crew!" I said to her. I guess she was happy to see me because she ran to me and hugged me tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay, Kim!" She got her mouth closer to my ear whispering. "Also, I'm glad I won't be able to put up with _her_ anymore..." she mumbled, looking in Flay's direction.

"What's the problem...?" I asked her.

"I don't know: she keeps glaring at me and whenever I feel like talking to Kira, she appears out of nowhere and snatches him away... Is she like...crazy or something...?" she asked me.

"I think she's just jealous..." I said back to her. It was a pleasant afternoon on the deck and everyone was getting a nice tan. I suddenly thought: **Jesus, the Valliant!** "Seth, what happened to the Valliant?" I asked, panicked. He rubbed my shoulder, trying to calm me down. "It's stuck in repairs... It's going to be just fine. Murdoch is taking great care of it, don't worry." I knew everything would be just fine, but not having the Valliant ready for any dangerous circumstances was stressing me out. After a glorious afternoon, the sun was setting down slowly. Everyone was packing their things and folding up the beach towels. I got up, followed by Cagalli and Seth. Suddenly, a brutal wave crashed on the Archangel and the ship shook like a leaf. Flay and Miriallia fell on the solid metal floor and Kira, Seth, Cagalli and I had much difficulty staying on our feet.

_All hands to level 1 battle station! I repeat: all hands to level 1 battle station! Assault on the Archangel! All hands to level 1 battle station! Kira Yamato, Seth Yoshiro, Commander LaFlaga and Kim Desjardins in the hangar immediately!_

I was panicking badly and Seth noticed. "Are you okay, Kim?" I shook my head. "The Valliant isn't ready for an attack! The damages were not fully repaired! What am I going to do, Seth? I can't leave the Archangel with the Valliant on it!" I was screaming now and everyone was looking at me.

"Another incompetent fool." Flay said, looking at Cagalli. I looked at her and she glared at Flay. "Come on, it's not the time, Flay. There are more important matters right now..."

"Your Valliant is just another stupid machine, I don't see why you're panicking..." she said, rolling her eyes. I turned around, looking at Flay.

"What's your problem, Flay? I need this _machine_ to protect the Archangel!" I said to her. "Kira's more than enough for those bastards. No one needs you right now... Kira will save us..." she said, her voice lowering with every word. I ran to her and punched her face so hard she fell once more.

"What are you doing, Kim!" screamed an angry Kira, pushing me. "Muzzle your lap dog, Kira. She is being stupid and doesn't know what she's saying." Said Seth, his voice warning him silently. "Why you...!" Kira punched Seth, but he was too fast for the young Coordinator and grabbed his knife, pulling it to Kira's throat. "If you don't want to die, I suggest you put her in her room, out of Kim's face. You know what can happen to Flay if she's not able to be serious." He simply said. Kira growled and pushed Seth on the floor. It had now degenerated into a full adolescent fight. Seth immediately punched back Kira and kicked him in the stomach, leaving the kid on the floor.

"I told you Kira. I don't want any shit in between us. Don't insult my friend or myself. Just tell her to shut up and we'll put a stop to this." He said calmly, removing his body from Kira. I heard a ticking noise. It was a "click" I knew too well. I turned around to see Flay with Kira's hand gun, pointing it at Seth. "Flay, what are you doing! Drop the goddamn gun!" screamed Miriallia. "No! He hurt Kira!" she said, still pointing the gun at Seth. "You're crazy! Drop the fucking gun!" Miriallia continued. Flay's aim suddenly was clear and she shot a bullet in Seth's direction. There was a loud noise and Seth received her surprise right in his left arm. He growled and kneeled down, clutching to his bloody arm. I was dumbstruck. I took the knife from the belt I put on earlier and ran to her. She screamed: I had almost slashed her face open. She took a step back and dropped the gun and put her hands in front of her face.

"**What the fuck did you do that for**! This is your _entire_ fault!" I screamed at her, pointing the knife on her face. The sliding door opened and Commander LaFlaga gasped. "What in the world is happening? What's all the ruckus about!" he asked but no one dared to answer. I dropped my knife and hurried to Seth's side, looking at his wound. I ripped a piece of my shirt and made a bandage with it that I wrapped Seth's arm with. "I've got to stop the blood from flowing. I need to put pressure on, Seth." He didn't say anything: his pride took a hit along with his arm. "Who shot him! Tell me who shot him!" LaFlaga screamed, looking at Kira. "It's..." I frowned and glared at Flay. "It's that crazy bitch, Commander!" Cagalli said, pointing in her direction. "We'll fix this later! Since Seth is in no condition to fight, I'll have to head out with Kira. I hope you think about what you've done, Flay!" screamed the Commander, exiting with Kira, followed by Miriallia and her boyfriend.

They left us alone, Seth, Cagalli, Flay and I. I looked again at her and asked : "Who's your target now, Flay? Coordinators or Naturals? Do you even know what side you're on?" Cagalli helped me drag Seth to the medic wing. The medics sat him down on a chair and proceeded to disinfect the wound. "I can't believe she did that!" said a dumbfounded Cagalli. "I'll get her, don't worry..." I said, looking down on Seth. He was silent.

"Cagalli. Promise me you'll take care of him while I'm gone." I said to her. She looked shocked. "Where are you going?" she asked. "I'm taking the second Skygrasper. Since the Valliant is in no condition to fight, I prepared my second option. I'll be back soon, don't worry. Seth, try to relax, okay?" I asked him. He simply nodded and I ran back to the hangar. When I got down the elevator, Murdoch was already screaming orders around. "Murdoch! Prepare the second Skygrasper! I'm taking off!" I said, putting my suit on. "What? Who gave you orders?" he asked. "Do I need orders to save you?" I replied. He cursed under his breath and prepared to open the hatch. I jumped in the Skygrasper and started the engine. **Whoa. It has been a while since I've pilot that thing... I guess I have no choice right now.**

They elevated me on the platform and opened the hatch. System all green! Be careful, Kim!" said Miriallia though the microphones. "Kim Desjardins, Skygrasper taking off!" I was pulled out of the Archangel with lighting speed and there I was again, on the battlefield.


	10. Phase 10

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

The battle had already started when I regrouped with Commander LaFlaga. He was fighting off another mobile suit belonging to ZAFT. I had just learned by the man that it wasn't a wave that crashed into the Archangel earlier: it was a submarine mobile suit sending explosive under my mother ship.

"I have to go look around, Commander! Their mother ship shouldn't be far away! It's probably in a ten kilometers range! Are you going to be okay if I leave you here with Kira?" **Though I would watch out for behind-your-back punches, Commander...** "Yes, who are you taking me for? I'm the best around!" he said, trying to reassure himself. He managed to push around the purple mobile suit attacking him and I leaped further into the sky, passing by the Archangel, making sure it was safe. I contacted the Captain immediately.

"Captain! I'm going to look for the mother ship of those four mobile suits! I won't be long; I'm just going to pinpoint their location! I'll be back before the fight is over!" I said to her.

"Alright but don't trespass the ten kilometers range. It could be dangerous and you're alone...without mobile suit..." I frowned. "Hey, I'm cool with that! Don't worry!" As soon as I passed the Archangel, my navigation system was shot by the underwater mobile suit the Archangel dreaded. "Fuck!" I could see clear smoke behind the Skygrasper, though it wasn't very important. **I can handle a little pressure here...It's not like I haven't been in this situation before... Oh well, we'll have to do without radars and navigation system... No worry...! **While flying blindly, I noticed that not even ZAFT ships, except the ones attacking the Archangel, were up to this point. I went higher and passed the strange lining of the clouds: I was high in the atmosphere now and I could feel the pressure on the small Skygrasper.

It was nothing like the Valliant, mind you: the cabin was small, no speed levers, just a small pedal to push for power. The handle stick was not a good thing when flying an airship, but that's just my opinion. I had a habit of typing my options in the Valliant but in the Skygrasper, I had to do everything manually. I was blind since I had no radar and I couldn't find back the Archangel without establishing communication with them. The clouds were thick and white and kept acting like a fog. I looked behind to see if nothing would say "surprise!" and jump on my back to destroy me: there wasn't even a single plane in the horizon. I looked back in the front and gasped: I almost hit an airplane. I went down and examined the flying piece of metal: it belonged to ZAFT! **What should I do? Shoot it down? Could this be...the mother ship I'm looking for? In that case...I have no other choice...** I took out the cannon gun of the Skygrasper and aimed it at the right wing of the ZAFT aircraft. I pressed on the trigger and shot the right side of the ship. It immediately reacted and replied with heavy gunshots: I tried to evade, but with the restricted mobility of the Skygrasper, I was shot on the back of the engine. "Shit!" I knew what I had to do now: find some place to land and _very _quickly.

The Skygrasper tilted to the right side during the free fall: I had lost my right engine and if I wasn't careful, I could end up in the Red sea like a fish. I tried to spot an island close with the damaged navigation system but no can do: the thing is broken to the last extent. The only way I could spot something up was the old way, meaning with my eyes. I wasn't lucky so far: I could only see water and... Dolphins. **As they would help the Skygrasper swim to a miracle island... Stop dreaming, Kim, you're distressed right now.**

Finally, when I thought nothing was possible and that I was bound to swim back to the Archangel, I saw what looked like a small island in the distance. Thing is I didn't know if I would make it there. The Skygrasper was now gliding its way through the thin air and it would definitely crash onto the waves. I managed to find the cheap, last resort engine in the back of my cockpit and pressed on the red button that started it. God's way, even though I didn't believe, reached to me and I could at least control the direction I was falling to because of that cheap motor engine. **I would give anything in the whole wide world right now to have the Valliant... **The small island was now getting bigger and the distance between the Skygrasper and the deadly sea was getting thinner. I had no more options now: I had to eject myself out. I looked for the button, but couldn't find it. **What the hell is this? No ejection button! Oh my God! **_**This is so stupid!**_I could see the deadly waves crashing on the island now and I braced myself for impact. _Ouch!_

When I woke up from my unconscious state, I noticed the Skygrasper had inevitably crashed but in a comfortable way: in between rocks, about three meters from the island. I manually opened the hatch of the cockpit and took a large amount of fresh air. **At least I'm not dead...**_**yet.**_ I got out of the aircraft and jumped in the chilly waters. I gasped at its coldness and swam to the island. I looked at the wreck and smiled nervously. **Murrue is going to kill me...! **When I reached the soft sand, I kneeled down and relaxed for two minutes. I checked my belt: I had replaced my gun in its case before leaving the Archangel, so I wasn't totally defenseless. My knife was in my right boot and I had packed hand grenades in my pocket bag...which probably floated away while I was swimming... **Great, this is fantastic.**

I walked through the thick tropical forest with difficulty and could feel the calming sunset on my face. The temperature was getting chilly by the instant and I took out my lighter and put in my pocket. My long sleeved shirt was soaked, along with my black jeans under my Earth Forces suit. My helmet was gone and the sleeves on my suit were torn and burned. I ripped the form-fitting suit and left it in the forest, keeping my jeans and shirt. I left my boots there, knowing soaked shoes or boots would keep me swearing like crazy because of the irritation they would cause. I finally reached a cliff where the other side of the island was perceptible. **This is one small island... I wonder if it's inhabited...?**

I looked around and my reflexes took the best of me: I fell on my front side, face down. I saw a mobile suit standing tall beside me, hiding in the branches of the forest tropical trees. **What's it doing here? That's a ZAFT mobile suit... Just **_**great**_**! Exactly what I needed right now! They probably retraced the Skygrasper and discovered this island. I know they're looking for me! Of course, I destroyed one of their aircraft...! **I looked below once again and saw a figure getting out of the mobile suit. It was a ZAFT Elite pilot: I could recognize it from their red suits. The person was still wearing its helmet so it was impossible for me to see this person's face. I knew it was a man because... well, I had learned early on that a woman's anatomy is way different from a man's. The silhouette moved and took off the helmet, revealing the beautiful silver hair and blue eyes of none other than Yzak Joule. **Fuck, fuck, fuck! No! Why? God, I am asking why you're doing this to me! This is so **_**unfair**_**! **I was so dumbfounded I forgot to stay low. He turned his head around to look behind him and our eyes met for the slightest moment. His navy blue eyes also demonstrated a state of surprise and shock while my green ones were still locked on his perfect silhouette.

I snapped and quickly took my gun, pointing it at him. My aim was directed at his scared face. He seemed angry and also took out his gun, aiming my face. My breathing was becoming fast and uncertain as I faced death directly. **This is dangerous... Maybe if I drop my gun he'll stop glaring at me like I'm the worse asshole in the universe...** I slowly kneeled down to drop my gun and elevated my hands high in the air, in a sign of defeat. I had no intention of shooting him because, well, I never intended to hurt him ever. He walked into my direction and I stepped back. I was on a cliff so I had the advantage. I kicked away my weapon deep into the harsh vegetation and hoped he wouldn't find it. He took a step, I took a step back. I had no intention of hurting but I had no intention of getting hurt myself, that is.

"Get down!" he screamed. I shook my head and stayed where I was. He also kept the gun high, never leaving its aim, which was my head. I had no choice. I knew that when I kicked away my only legitimate defense, which was my beloved gun, I would eventually face fear. This was the moment. I slowly got down the cliff, very slowly I said. He waited where he was. Rain started pouring down slightly, making the rock slippery. My barefoot slipped under the slimy surface and I fell my way down on the soft sand again. I winced in pain but kept a cool attitude. I slowly got up and looked at my bleeding leg: it was hurting like a bitch. I looked back at Yzak, who had taken the advantage of walking in my direction without me noticing. "Don't you come any closer!" I managed to say to him, but her wouldn't listen. I knew if I moved to unexpectedly, I would end up with a bullet in my skull, so I stayed there, still.

"You shot down my cargo ship, bitch!" he said, still angry. I thought back and closed my eyes.

"Listen: the Archangel was attacked by ZAFT and my aircraft was blind, what do you want me to say? I thought your cargo ship was the source of the attackers!" I said, trying to defend myself from his accusations.

"You killed the crew and almost destroyed my mobile suit... Do you think I should just let you live? After what you've done to me? You deserve to die!" he spat out, still seeing red. "Then kill me, if it's what you want. I have nothing I could attack you with. I am injured and you have a gun aiming at my head. What more do you need to pull the trigger?" I asked him. He grunted and was almost two feet away now. I could see the black hole of the gun now but I managed to stay cool. I had no other choice: it was now raining heavily and the temperature had severely dropped. I didn't want my teeth to chatter but I couldn't escape it now. I could feel my lower lip tremble from the cold and my body shivering.

"Turn around." He ordered. I executed myself and turned around.

"If you move, I'll shoot you down." He said. I could still sense the edge of rage in his voice. **If I knew his transport wasn't the mother ship of my attackers, I wouldn't have shot it down**. **This is war, what is he expecting? **I felt the cold feel of the handcuffs on my wrist and the hard handling of Yzak. I could feel the heat of his body against my back while he adjusted them. He then grabbed my arm and dragged me near the sea. "What are you doing?" I asked him, nervous. He stayed silent, his grip violent and harsh on my arm. When we had water at our ankles, he pushed me down on my knees and I screamed: the salt on my wound was excruciating. I clenched my teeth and endured. He grabbed my arm again and "helped" me up again. I looked at his face and into his blue eyes for a moment but all I received was a slap from him. It's not like I was expecting something kinder, but not this. I thought he was going to drown me in the salty water, but he took my arm again and we walked on the beach.

"This is actually pretty romantic, don't you think?" I said, trying to ease up his angry attitude, though I expected nothing less from an angry man. He gave me such a harsh glare that it was enough to shut me up for the next hour. He walked me to his mobile suit. The Duel was grey and dull: his protective color armor was off and the cockpit was open. I started to squirm against his grip and he silently made it clear that if I moved once more, he'd hit me hard. I frowned and thought about my options, which were pretty much dead right now. I looked at the handcuffs attaching my hands.

My body was now shivering and my teeth were chattering more than ever, making him twitchy and annoyed. "Stop this!" he asked. "I can't!" I replied. He swiftly took my face violently into his grip, pressing against my jaw. My mouth stopped moving. "There, I knew you could do it." He said, his voice deep and cold. "You're...**hurting**..._me_!" I managed to scream at him. I've had enough of the roughness he was putting me through.

"What do you expect, wench? You're my prisoner!" he screamed back, angrier than ever. "I have a name, Yzak!" I said back to him, kicking his leg. He took a bundle of my hair and pointed the gun at my temple. "Do you want to die, _Kim_?" He asked. I kicked him again and simply said: "Go ahead, it's wide open for you." He seemed surprised by my answer and I let myself fall on the ground, on my butt. I turned around, my back facing him. I looked at my sore leg and swore under my breath. "Could this get any funnier?" I asked myself, talking out loud.

"Don't wish for something you truly don't want." Replied Yzak, unstopping his wet upper body. I looked back and blushed. I quickly turned my head back, facing the sea, beating red. **Is he...undressing? **_**When I'm right here?**_

"I suggest you stay like that. I wouldn't want you to have a heart attack from seeing me naked." He added: the bitchiness in his voice had replaced the anger now. "What do you mean by that, Yzak Joule? I have seen many men naked already. It's not like you're anything special."

"Really...? Why did you blush like when you turned around then?"

"Would you stop assuming?" I asked him. I shyly turned back around to see if he was listening to me. _Never should've done that. _His lean, muscular back was showered by the pouring rain and his long, silver hair was wet. "**Drop dead sexy...!"** said my hormones. "**Totally unnecessary!"** screamed my brain. "Are you still looking down there? I thought I was just assuming, but you really are looking." He said, laughing at his cockiness.

Time passed as the moon got up high in the evening sky. I was still sitting outside while he went back in his cockpit, enjoying dry clothes and probably food. I on the other hand was still soaked even though it had stopped raining hours ago. I was sticky and tasted like salt because I swam earlier. I was really in deep shit now: under the enemy's gun and fucking disgusting. I laid my head on the sand and waited. **I wonder when the Archangel will send help... Maybe I'm too much trouble and will decide to let me live with Rambo over here.**

I suddenly felt something touch the tip of my head. I looked up and saw a giant crab. I screamed at the top of my lungs and shook my head like crazy. Yzak, alarmed by the sudden screaming, got down from his mobile suit and ran towards me. "What is your problem now?" he asked. "There's a **fucking **_crab_ in my hair! Get it off! Get it off!"

He was trying not to laugh at me but I swear I saw a smirk on his face. "Are you fucking deaf? Get the fucking crab off of me before I send it in your hair!" I screamed, my cool vanishing to be replaced by anger. His hand reached towards my hair and he swiftly caught the crab in time and threw it far into the sea. I was breathing heavily and put my head on my knees. I knew he was still behind me, waiting for something. "What do you want? I already feel stupid enough: I got captured by you, handcuffed by you and now saved from a near death from crab attack by you! What more can I give you to make your satisfaction and ego grow bigger?" I asked him. He stayed silent and stood there.

"Of course, I can't get up either. Just tower over me in victory and claim your prize, Yzak! You can shoot me now before I kill myself out of embarrassment!" I screamed, my voice cracking and my eyes blinded my shameful tears. He sat next to me and looked directly at my face.

"This is satisfying enough, I mean, seeing you cry like a baby, not a warrior. You know how I felt when you almost crushed me with your mobile suit, last time we saw each other." I glared at him, tears falling down my face. "I lost control." I simply said. "You always have control." He replied. "If you wouldn't have been such an asshole with me, I wouldn't even have considered your death." I said back, more tears falling down my cheeks. He growled and got up, walking around, deeply lost in thoughts. "I'd give anything to have you with me, Seth..." I said, mumbling to myself. "What did you say?" he asked. "Nothing."

"You know, it's your entire fault if you're in your situation right now. You shouldn't have dropped your gun, earlier." He continued, justifying himself. "I dropped it because I thought you would've understood that I didn't want to attack you, not to surrender, you jerk." I shivered as the cold wind hit my back like snow. He approached me and took my wrists. "What are you doing?" I asked, incredulous. He didn't answer, simply took out the key and undid the handcuffs.

"You have to change. You're freezing." He stated. He quickly ran back into the Duel's cockpit and brought some fresh clothes for me to put on. My body was shivering so much it was impossible not to tremble like a leaf. "Move your arms up." He ordered. **He wants to watch me change! What the hell?** "No thank you... I ca-can d-do it al-lone...!" I said, my teeth chattering again. He pulled the shirt from my body and pulled it over my head, leaving me topless, in my pink bra. "Don't look at me!" I screamed, turning my back. "Come on, you'll catch a cold!" He said, his voice turning as the chilly wind. "Who are you! Who are you to have the rights to do this to me?" I said to him, still not turning my back. "I'm the one who's going to hurt you if you don't shut the fuck up and obey!" he said, turning around by force and pulling a white, long sleeved shirt on my now freezing body.

I tried to push him away but my hands were trembling so. "Get the rest of your clothes off." He barked. "There's no way in hell I'll do that, rest assured!" I said, snapping the jogging pants from his hands. "Turn around! Your mother never taught you manners, Yzak Joule?" I said to him while he turned around.

"I had no bad intentions! Who are you taking me for? Do you honestly think I'd be attracted to a Natural? You're out of your mind!" he said. I got my jeans off, pulled the panties off as well and quickly put on the spare pants he gave me. "Well that's just fine, you _fucking _Coordinator. I'll just go and make myself a nice fire in that stupid cave and if I see you near my fucking place, let's just say that I will hurt you." And with that, I walked away.

"Wait a minute, you're my prisoner!" he said, remembering. "Too late now." I replied. Near the mobile suit, I had noticed there was a beach cave. I ran to the hiding spot and dropped my wet clothes on the ground. I started looking for some wood, but all of the wood on the sandy beach was damp and nothing would burn out of it. I took some branches in the forest and I knew Yzak was still following me. After an hour of wood gathering, I placed the logs pyramid-like in the cavern and rolled the wheel of my tiny lighter. I was finally getting lucky: smoke appeared and soon, I had built a nice fire to warm my body a little. I placed the wet clothes on the sandy ground and let the fire dry them up.

My body was dry now but my stomach still cried loudly for some food. I could see Yzak getting inside the Duel to fetch for something and he came back down with snacks. **He has food! I can't believe it!** He quickly found my spot and waited outside. "What do you want, Yzak? _Are you cold?_" I asked him, obviously aware that he was freezing. "Tell you what, bitch: you let me in and I give you food. How does that sound?" he said with his bitchy voice. I couldn't resist the fact that I could finally shut my stomach's trap. "Fine but you stay on your side of the fire." I said back to him. He threw on my head an energy bar and a bottle of water. "Ouch! What was that for?" I called to him. "I gave you food so now you shut up and let me warm up." He said, concluding the conversation. After a snack and a drink, I laid my body on the ground and tried to sleep off the pain of the wound. Yzak, on the other hand, was trying to reach his mother ship, but it looked like he couldn't get a signal anywhere. I let my long hair loose and tried to relax, but his mere presence was stressful enough. I looked at him and he looked like he was sound asleep. I looked at his belt and noticed his gun. **There's my chance!**

I slowly and silently got up and kneeled close to the young man's body. I could feel the heat of his skin as my hand approached his belt. I silently unclipped the case and took the gun in my hand. Without any warning, Yzak, whom I thought was sleeping, woke up and looked at me, directly in my eyes. I aimed at him but he kicked my wound so hard I pressed the trigger and shot. The bullet did not touch Yzak but I could feel my body lose balance: I was about to fall in the burning fire right behind me. Swiftly Yzak took me by the waist, pulled me on his and grunted. "What the fuck are you doing?" he screamed, obviously not liking that I was on top of him. I pointed the gun at him and screamed.

"Don't move! I might not shoot if you stop squirming." I said to him. Slowly, my other hand grabbed the bottom of the gun and I got off the ammo inside it. I got off Yzak and went to the entrance of the cave and threw far away this precious ammo that would no longer threat my life in Yzak's hands. I also threw the gun away and behind me, Yzak swore.

"Are you fucking crazy? We're defenseless now!" I smirked. "You're a pussy, Yzak. Are you scared of poor little Kim?" I mocked him. He quickly got up and without any warning, jumped on me, tumbled on the ground on top of me and grabbed my wrist. He was now sitting on my body and holding out my arms: I was at his mercy again.

"What did you call me?" he asked, very angry. "You're a fucking prissy pants! Are you scared shitless about everything?" I asked him. He slapped me and gripped my neck. "I'm such a pussy right now I might strangle you." He said.

"You would." I said to him.

"You would because you're scared of this situation." He slapped me again. "I wouldn't be scared if I knew that I could trust you." He stated.

"We can't trust each other, Yzak! We're at war against each other!" He involuntarily rubbed his lower body against mine and, truthfully, I managed not to moan. I looked deep into his eyes and he did the same. I've never felt this way before, not even with Seth. I knew he felt that jolt of pleasure too, he just wouldn't admit it.

"Are we liking this or what?" he asked, taking control over my feelings. "I don't know what you're talking about." He smirked and rubbed himself again, just to see the pleasure and agony in my face. He knew I liked it, he knew I was affected by it and he would enjoy making me feel bad about it.

"Are you missing your boyfriend, Kim? Is that why you're so horny?" he asked. I blushed and turned my eyes away, not speaking. "Don't you play innocent with me, woman! I saw it again in your eyes! You're disgusted by me, there's no denying it!" I managed to roll myself over him forcefully and I grabbed, with all of my courage, his package. His expression turned from anger to shock.

"I am not disgusted by you, Yzak! What is it that you don't understand? You're a beautiful person!" He seemed shocked by the compliment, like no one ever told him what I just told him. I was about to get off of him but he pulled back and sat. Our faces were so close I could smell the sweet scent of his hair. His blue eyes were now staring directly into me and I was totally at his mercy. Gently, like I never would've thought that was possible with him, he pressed his full lips against mine. My body acted on its own accord and I shyly kissed him back. The tip of his tongue touched my lower lip and I let him enter my mouth. My breasts were rubbing against his hard torso and his hands rubbed my back. I felt so warm inside and it felt delicious. The kiss was now very deep, too deep to my taste. My body still wasn't listening and we kept on going. He slowly removed the shirt he lend to me and looked at my bra.

"I didn't know you had such exquisite taste." He stated. "It's not because I pilot a mobile suit that I have to look like a man." I replied. " I've never seen a man with breasts." I blushed and he undid the clip on my back. When he removed the clothing item, I instinctively closed my arms in front of my breasts and looked away. "Don't do that." I frowned and let tears roll down my cheeks. He quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me in a tight embrace, like something inside of him snapped, like he longed for my touch. It was such an intimate moment, such pure bliss that I couldn't resist. For a moment, every worry I had about him was gone and I let myself fall in love with him, like a complete fool. It felt good, being able to be true with myself. As I opened my eyes, I met his deep blue gaze and his eyes were soft and warm.

Yzak snapped and pushed me away. "I shouldn't have let this happen." He simply said, getting dressed up. I turned around to pick my bra up, silent. **I'm so ashamed. What the fuck is happening to me?** As I put my shirt back on, I noticed the sun rising up slowly in the sky. I couldn't help the tears falling on my cheeks out of shame and I got up. I looked behind to find Yzak standing up, looking at his radar. "Looks like there's a mobile suit coming. It's probably one of your friends coming to find you." He said. I ran to him and without thinking, I hugged him. I couldn't help myself. It was too much for me to resist. I rested my head on his shoulder and for the slightest moment, I felt his arms around my waist. I never understood what happened that night, but it seemed that we understood more than we thought about each other. "Yzak... I feel good. If we ever cross paths on the battlefield... I..." he put his hand on my mouth and simply said: "Me too. Look, there's a green mobile suit in the horizon." He said, pointing outside. We went outside the cave and walked a bit, but he suddenly stopped.

"I guess he shouldn't see me with you. I have to go." He said. I smiled at him and reminded him: "Yzak! ... I... like you better when you're like this." He shrugged it off and walked away, deeply into the forest to go prepare his mobile suit for departure. I guess he returned to his normal state. On the other end of the beach, the Outpacer landed next to the fallen Skygrasper and Seth got out of his mobile suit, apparently looking for me.

"Kim? Kim, where are you?" I shook my arms in the air and screamed: "I'm right here! Took you long enough, Seth!" Minutes later, Seth and I were in the Outpacer's cockpit and he was bringing me back to the Archangel. "I'm glad I found you, Kim! Everyone was worried sick about you!" I smiled and looked at the far right of the Outpacer's cockpit window. I saw Yzak, standing over the cliff I had fallen over, looking at me in the distance. **I hope I see him again.**


	11. Phase 11

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

When we landed on the Archangel, they immediately opened the hatch and let the Outpacer in. When we got out of the cockpit, the whole crew was there to welcome us back. Even the Captain had left the control room to salute me. I stepped on the metal stairs and descended to the ground level of the hangar. "Kim! Oh my God!" screamed Cagalli, pushing people around to pass. I ran to her and we hugged. "I thought you were MIA!" she said, tears in her eyes. "Well, I was lucky enough not to be. I can't say much about the Skygrasper, though..." I looked at the Captain, but she kept smiling. "Don't worry about that... We'll fix things up when we'll arrive at Orb." **Orb? Are we there yet?** "We'll soon arrive in Orb. In about a week, we'll land into their waters and ask for support." Said the Captain. I looked at Seth and we both knew what this meant. **It's almost time to say goodbye and to be hated by them again...**

"So, where were you, exactly?" asked Commander LaFlaga. "I had found a cargo ship within the ten kilometers range and I thought it was the mother ship of our attackers. I shot it down but I got hit in the process... I landed on a deserted island and waited for you guys to find me since... well, since the Skygrasper was done for." Seth laughed and rested his hand on my shoulder. "I guess you're hungry, right?" he asked. "YES!" I exclaimed, overjoyed.

For dinner, the chef had prepared a variety of stuff to eat. I didn't even look at what I put in my plate: I was so hungry I was ready to eat rocks. Seth was sitting next to me in the cafeteria and everyone was having a good time. I looked at Kira, who seemed perfectly normal again. "So...did you guys...apologize?" I asked. Seth smirked and took a sip of his drink. "Yeah, I guess. We shook hands and we said the usual I'm-sorry-I-won't-do-it-again stuff. Flay, on the other hand is as vicious as ever. We haven't talked yet and I'm not ready to see her crazy bitch face again." He said in my ears.

"Hey, Kim! Were you attacked by ZAFT when you shot their cargo ship down?" asked Miriallia in between two bites. "Yeah, I was followed by an Elite pilot and we both were stuck on this island. He had lost radio signal and I had no way of contacting the Archangel. I guess we really were in deep shit." I said, taking a piece of bread at the same time. "Did you know him from the battlefield?" asked Sai, Kira's friend. "No, I've never met him before. He was nice enough to share some food he had, though. There was no mutual hate." I added. The dinner continued about the vacations everyone was going to take in Orb. Cagalli was silent enough during the dinner and I found it quite bizarre. When everyone was done and it was time for duty again, I followed her to her room and knocked on the door. "Who's there?" she asked. "It's me, Kim. Can I talk to you?" I asked.

"Sure, hold on, I'll unlock the doors." I heard a click and opened the sliding doors.

Cagalli was sitting on her bed, holding her head. "What's the problem?" I asked, sitting next to her. She gave me a sigh for an answer and we both sat next to each other for a long while. I knew something was wrong with her so I broke the awkward silence. "Do you have to say something to me before we get to Orb?" I asked her. That seemed to crack her lie. "Yes. I actually have something to tell you but you must not say anything to anyone, I am clear?" I nodded and listened. "I am not who you think. I'm not just some desert girl, Kim." I frowned. **What is she trying to say?** She spoke again. "My full name is Cagalli Yula Atha. I... am the daughter of the Chief Executive of Orb, Uzumi Yula Atha." My eyes widen.

"Oh." Was all I managed to say. "Okay I'm not stupid, Kim. You're reacting just the way I expected." She said, a bit unhappy. "Well, what do you want me to say? I won't jump on you for an autograph!" I said, laughing a little. We both laughed and I told her that her identity was nothing to be ashamed of. She told me that she wouldn't tell anyone until the right moment would come. I nodded and we hugged: this was a huge weight off of her shoulder, I could feel it. I was suddenly feeling uneasy about what I said about Yzak earlier. I knew Cagalli was my only girl friend I could talk to about my problems so I went for it.

"Cagalli, I haven't been honest with you either. You see, I knew the man from the island. He was no stranger to me and we met a couple times before we got stuck on the island together." She urged me to continue my story. "Well, you probably know him as well since we fought in the desert against each other. His name... is Yzak Joule, from the ZAFT elite pilots and he is the pilot of the Duel." She stayed silent, taken aback from the truth.

"I also told you another lie... We weren't about peace on the island... we had a huge fight and it turned ugly: I was made prisoner and he was brutal to me. I've never found anything more difficult than to live with the man for two days on this island." She frowned. "How come he made you prisoner? I mean, you haven't done anything personal to him on the battlefield, right?" she assumed. "No...He's the one I almost crushed during my...uh... moment." She winced. "Oh...that's not good, right?" she said. "No. He was absolutely pissed and when I finally got out of his grip, that's when things got strange." Cagalli was confused.

"What do you mean 'thing's got strange'?" I dreaded the moment I had to tell her. "I am a bit taken aback by this too, Cagalli. What I am about to say will shock you. Yzak and I...we made out. Real bad." She gasped and put her hand on her mouth.

"_Not serious, are you_?" was all she could think. I nodded silently and looked at the tile floor. I felt her hand on my back, reassuring me. "What was your trip anyway? He had made you prisoner and tortured you! I don't understand..." she said.

"I don't know what got into me... When I was sitting on his perfect body, I couldn't stop myself. If he didn't snap at the right time, we would've..." She gasped again, this time much angrier. "_No! I can't believe you_! You wouldn't have slept with the enemy now would you have, Kim? **Truth or lie, now?** "...I don't know. I feel so horrible...! I feel like I betrayed every single one of my principles...! I feel like I betrayed Seth..." She frowned. "I thought there was nothing going on between you and Seth!" she added. "Yeah well that's another lie. We've always been this close, Cagalli, I just can't explain it. I feel so good around him, but it stops there unfortunately... When I was with Yzak, it felt like my whole body just wanted to be close to him. There was a connection, that's certain."

"I don't know what to say to you... I suggest you leave it there with that Yzak guy...I don't trust him." She stated.

"I wouldn't trust him with me either." We continued talking. Suddenly, the Archangel violently tilted to the side and Cagalli and I were projected again her bed frame. "What the _fuck_?" she screamed, clutching to her head. The Archangel was shaken like crazy and nothing in Cagalli's room would stay in place. My head was spinning and I wondered what the heck was happening. We both ran to the control room and saw the Captain barking orders. "Open the Wombats! Fire!" said Commander Badgiruel. "What's going on?" we both asked in unison. "We're being attacked! Haven't you heard the alarm!" said an angry Murrue. "No!" I replied. "Then head to the hangar, we've prepared the Valliant for you! Hurry up!" **Do they ever give us a fucking break or what?**

I ran to the elevator with Cagalli and we descended to the hanger's main level. Kira was already on the platform, ready to be ejected from the hatch. Seth, on the other hand, was experiencing difficulties with Murdoch. "What's going on?" I asked him, running in his direction. "He says the Outpacer's repairs aren't fully completed! I can't go out! He said they'll be done shortly but since there's nothing I can pilot here, I have to stay inside!" I looked at Murdoch with murderous eyes and looked back at Seth. "Take care of Cagalli. I'm heading out as soon as I can." I said to him, patting his shoulder. He nodded comprehensively and took Cagalli out of the hangar. I ran to the flight of steps leading to the Valliant and opened the cockpit. I sat in my seat and for once, I bulked my safety belt. I started the Valliant and was up next in line, following Commander LaFlaga. He was propelled outside and I was placed of the platform. The hatch opened and I was ready to exit.

_System all green! Be careful out there, Kim!_ Said Miriallia through the mike.

"Kim Desjardins, Valliant, I'm taking off!"

I was pushed outside and I pushed on the speed lever, making the Valliant glide quickly in the air. I looked at Kira who was fighting... the Blitz! It was those damn ZAFT pilots again? **From where do these guys come from?** I flew in mid-range and looked around. Pistols were sent at me from above and I evaded by peaking down.

I looked up and saw the Aegis, piloted by the famous Athrun Zala, son of the Chairman of ZAFT. I charged at the red mobile suit and got out my laser blade, slashing the pike on the Aegis's head. He punched me but I was able to grab the red mobile suit's hand and crush it. I took the knife around of the Valliant's pack and rammed it into the hand I had grip on. He suddenly pushed back and I followed him at full speed. He threw a missile in my direction and I evaded by moving sideways. I looked at the Archangel and saw the Blitz aiming a laser gun at the cockpit. **Seth and Cagalli are in the control room!** I snapped and took out my sniper, aiming and shot at the Blitz legs. My shot seemed to have affected the black mobile suit and this one parted from the Archangel, heading in my direction. I put my shield in front of me and waited for the assault. I noticed that I didn't see the Duel around: where is he?

The Blitz, who was charged right at me, wasn't fast enough and I plunged, leaving him confused. I knew where I could find the Duel if it wasn't in front of the Archangel: behind, where the engines were. I passed under the assaulted Archangel and could see the Duel's legs, obviously attacking the back of the ship. I took out my double-side laser sword and directly attacked, Yzak, who seemed surprised.

"I told you no cheap shots, Yzak." I stated. He pressed on the Duel's speed lever and back away, the Valliant behind it. I looked behind me and saw the Blitz, who was once again on the verge of destroying the cockpit of the Archangel.

"Yzak, tell him to stop!" He flew passed me, heading towards Nichol and the Blitz. As soon as he was able to touch him, he violently kicked him and pushed him away from the Archangel. "What are you doing, Yzak?" screamed an angry Nichol, who was shocked by his partner's behaviour. "We didn't have orders to kill all of the passengers!" was all he said. I knew he had covered me up and I promised myself I wouldn't touch anyone fatally. I charged at the Blitz and cut its legs off, taking Nichol by surprise. "Nichol, what are you doing! You'll get killed one day of you don't pay attention enough!" screamed Dearka, who had a hard time pushing Commander LaFlaga away.

"I'm going to kill that bitch!" screamed Nichol, charging at me with his laser sword like a mad man. He was so blinded by rage that his concentration took a hit and missed his target, which was my cockpit. I took out a knife and cut the Blitz's right hand off, sending it to the bottom of the sea. I continued my rampage by ravaging the Blitz's head.

This time, Nichol was out of control and landed a hit next to the Valliant's cockpit, which I was in. I gasped and punched into Nichol's cockpit, sending the young adolescent unconscious. The Blitz stopped moving and plunged in the sea. **Oh no!** I plunged too and the heavy Valliant touched the water and entered the underwater. I could see the rest of the Blitz's body falling deeper and I pressed on the speed lever, trying to reach to it. When I was able to grab its arm, I pulled up and seconds later, I emerged along with the unconscious pilot and the Blitz. "Nichol!" screamed Athrun, heading towards me. I elevated and I met with Athrun in the sky.

"Give me back my subordinate!" he ordered. I put a knife to Nichol's cockpit and shook my head. "I won't until you declare defeat." I said. There was a loud screeching sound in our communication system and a man's voice talked loudly.

_This is a warning to the Earth Forces ship and ZAFT forces currently approaching! You are currently approaching the territory of the Orb Union! Alter your course at once! As a neutral nation we strictly prohibit trespassing into our territories by any armed ship, aircraft or mobile suit! Alter course at once! I repeat, alter your course at once! This is your final warning!_

"What is this nonsense?" screamed Commander LaFlaga through his mike.

_Should you fail to change your course in accordance with this warning, we will exercise our right to defend our nation and open fire against you!_

"Open fire? We won't stand a chance if they do so!" said Kira.

**I don't get it...I thought the Earth Forces were on the good side of Orb! Were Seth and I...wrong all this time? I don't have time to change our course now! We have to get to Orb no matter what!** The Archangel, not minding the warning, continued to advanced, even it was pretty clear they didn't us there. I readies the knife on the Blitz's cockpit and spoke back to Athrun Zala.

"_This is Cagalli Yula Atha! Who are you, soldier, to have the authority to push us away? I wish to speak to my father, Lord Uzumi Yula Atha, right now!_ Cagalli's voice was heard all over the battlefield through internal communication of every ship, mobile suits or aircraft. I looked back at the Aegis and kept my hold on my hostage.

"If you don't want him dead, I suggest you fucking leave!" I said, seizing the black mobile suit even so violently.

"Come on Athrun! This isn't worth Nichol's life, now is it?" asked Dearka, communicating with his leader. "I don't know what I should do... You're right. Alright, pilot of the Valliant, give us back our partner and we'll leave quietly!" **Why don't I believe him? Oh that's right: because they're probably going to pull a cheap trick on us, that's why!**

"I want you to drop all of your team's mobile suit's weapons in the water!" I said, still holding on to Nichol's life. They waited a moment but after a couple of minutes, the three of them, including Yzak, dropped their guns, their laser swords and anything that could harm us. I approached the Aegis and slowly, I lifted the Valliant's arms to deliver the rest of the fallen Blitz and Nichol. Without saying anything, they left the battlefield, Yzak being the only one who stayed longer. We both looked at each other through our cockpit's window and he managed not to say "thank you" for saving his friend. **You saved the Archangel today, Yzak. I owe you.** He left without saying goodbye and I relaxed, heading back to the Archangel, who was in pretty bad shape.

After I embarked on the Archangel, the Valliant was looked inside the hangar for ultimate security and I rejoined with Seth and Cagalli, who were waiting for me below the staircase. "You pulled a nice trick today, Kim! If it wasn't for you, the Archangel would've sink!" said Cagalli, hugging me. "Another good shot, Kim." Said Seth. It was like his way of saying "Yeah you're the best, I just won't tell you explicitly". The Archangel was being pulled inside a cavern arranged as a hangar for Orb's fleets and Seth and I were reaching the point where we'd have to say 'adieu' to our friends. All of the crewmembers were called into a meeting room and the Commanders and Captain left us there until we'd be able to disembark the Archangel.

"I wonder if they're ever going to give us some time off...?" asked a friend of Kira's, named Kuzzey. The Commander sitting with us laughed and answered his question. "That will depend on how the meeting goes between Captain Ramius, Commander LaFlaga and Commander Badgiruel and Lord Uzumi. It's all up to Orb. We have to stay on board until they come back with answers."

"Our parents live here, I don't understand why we need permission, after all..." said Miriallia, sadden by the fact that it's been so long since she saw her folks. The last time she saw them was when she had live chat with them at school, on the day Heliopolis was destroyed by ZAFT. Suddenly, I heard Cagalli scream "Oh no! She's here!" in the corridor. I took my gun and ran outside the meeting room and saw Cagalli shuddering, seeing a woman in the distant corridor. "What's gotten into you?" I asked her. She gasped and pointed at the fat lady with an apron coming our way. "She's...!" When the woman saw Cagalli, she screamed like a granny and jumped on the traumatised young woman beside me.

"Who is she, Cagalli? Do you want me to settle this?" I asked her, pointing my gun at the elderly. "No, that's fine... She's Myrna, my...caretaker..." she said, a little embarrassed. I couldn't help but to laugh: the Princess had a _nanny_!

"Shut up, Kim! It's not funny! Myrna, would you kindly get your body off of mine?" asked Cagalli, in between anger and politeness. We went into Cagalli's room and I helped Myrna getting the blond Princess her filthy clothes off. After Cagalli had taken a long bath, I helped her caretaker choose a dress. I had picked the pale turquoise one with the ribbons in the back. "I can't believe I'm picking what you're going to wear, Cagalli. You do me great honors!" I said, teasing her. "I'll **kill **you when I come out, Kim!" she said, infuriated.

Minutes later, Cagalli and I were waling alongside Myrna to exit the ship. "Why do you even want me there, Cagalli? You know I'm not _politically correct,_ right? Are you sure you want me to meet your father? After all, he is the Representative of Orb." She smiled and nodded positively. "Of course! You're my best friend! You're coming, you have no other choice. I also decided, as a Princess barking an order, to bring Seth with us. He might come in handy for _protection of the Princess's guest_." I smiled and agreed. As we past the crowd looking at Cagalli in awe in the corridor leading outside, all I could see was Flay's glare at my girl friend. "Don't look Cagalli, but the crazy bitch's glaring at you again..." I whispered in her ear.

"I'm sick of her. It's time we get off." She stated. I called Seth and he followed us outside, where we could finally sneak to the underground HQ of the Division.


	12. Phase 12

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

A limousine came to pick Cagalli, Seth and I and it felt totally natural to me. Being with Seth and Cagalli was the best thing that happened to me since a long period of time. I felt like I had found two amazing friends that would never leave my side, no matter what. We were served champagne in the limo. I declined the offer politely and so did Cagalli: we weren't major yet and we felt bad about drinking alcohol with an adult chauffeur. Seth on the other hand was feeling great and took two glasses of that golden liquor.

"Don't get drunk, we're going to meet Lord Uzumi!" I said, nudging Seth. "I won't get drunk unless you tell me to, Kim. After all, I don't want to look like an imbecile in front of your father, Cagalli. I might need a job after the war is over!" he said in between laughter. "Don't worry about that." She said.

The city was amazing: not too crowded and not too developed, just simple and relaxed. Elegant buildings had been erected in the middle part of the city, which gave a sense of immensity to Orb. I could see in the distance, on a very high hill the houses of the suburban. They all had a red top with a white facade. It was very pretty. It has been three hours that we were travelling and Cagalli told us that is wasn't far until we reach the mansion in which she lived in before going in the desert. We slept for the rest of the half hour of traveled and woke up when the car stopped. Seth and I groggily opened our eyes and Cagalli laughed.

"You guys look tired. I hate that the Archangel never let you rest." **What can I say? I signed up for the job years ago. I have to habit of not sleeping. **As soon as we got out of the car, we were astounded by the view: the mansion in which Lord Uzumi and his daughter lived in was humongous! I couldn't even imagine how many rooms there were in the "house". "Follow me, I show you around." Said Cagalli, following her nanny Myrna inside. "I feel bad just by wearing my old clothes..." whispered Seth in my ear. Myrna seemed to have heard his comment and smiled. "Of course you're not going to meet Lord Uzumi in these attires! I'll have you changed at once!" she said, humming a lullaby.

"You're not...serious...?" I asked Cagalli. In between nervous laughter, Seth frowned, also wondering if the middle aged woman was kidding or not. "You better listen to her. She's got **one** _hell _of a temper when things don't go her way..." said Cagalli in fear Myrna might hear her. **That coming from Cagalli is just scary... Who would have a worse temper than Cagalli Yula Atha?** Myrna, listening, looked back and gave Seth and I a death glare meaning "If you don't change, I'll fucking rip both your heads off". **That woman is sending shivers down my spine! **Seth looked at me and a gentleman, probably a servant, took him by the arm and dragged him in the opposite direction we were going.

"What are you doing? Who are you!" he said, his voice getting louder. Cagalli turned around and calmed Seth down. "This is Alfred. He'll take you in the men's apartments where you can change." She said. Seth let the old man drag him down the hall, asking me for pity with his eyes. **No way you're getting away with this, Seth. If I change, you change too.**

When we arrived as I thought was Cagalli's room, Myrna took a key from her brown apron and unlocked the mahogany door. When I saw what was in there, I almost screamed form horror: it was a room full of **fucking** _dresses_! "I'm not going in there." I said, trying to reassure myself that I wouldn't step foot in that room.

"It's not like you have a choice, Kim. You go in there by your own or Myrna will twist your arm trying to get you in there herself. You don't want that, do you?" she asked. I sighed and was pushed inside by the mad woman. "Now now... Which color would suit her best, Princess Cagalli?" asked Myrna. **No, no, no, no, no! **_**I am not doing this**_**! **"I think pink would match her hair perfectly." Said Cagalli, taking her revenge. I turned around and sent her the deadliest glare I could muster.

"_I swear if you put me in fucking __**pink**__, I'll kill you._" I said to her. "No, no, no! You must not use those crude and horrible words! This won't do at all, my Lady!" screamed Myrna, making my ears bleed.

"Try this one, Kim. I find it very pretty." She handed Myrna a royal blue silk dress and Myrna beamed in excitement.

"Yes, most excellent, Princess! Now you go in there and try it on, now!" said Myrna, pushing me in a changing room. **Ugh. **I put on the dress with great difficulty and zipped the back. When I found the courage to look myself in the mirror, I couldn't help but to put my hands on my mouth. **Holy mother of God, this dress is...!** "Come on, get out, we want to see!" screamed Cagalli. "Come here and show us!" said Myrna, knocking on the locked change room door.

"It's okay... I don't have to come out... It's not that pretty... I was wrong..." Myrna was savagely knocking on the door now and I remembered what Cagalli said about her. "_**You better listen to her. She's got one hell of a temper when things don't go her way..." **_I looked up and prayed, shaking my head. When Myrna got a hold of the lock on the door, she unlocked it and opened the door swiftly. I gasped and tried to cover myself with my arms, but Myrna screamed like a mad woman and howled her joy. "This is _perfect_ on her!" she screamed. Cagalli's eyes widen and she also beamed at me. "Wow, look at you! You're stunning!" was all she could muster to say, in awe. I wished for this moment to end very, very soon. I aimed at the door but Myrna grabbed my arm and offered me the matching royal blue shoes to go with the amazing dress. **Hell no! This isn't going to work! I can work with the fucking dress but high heels? **I pushed away the shoes but Cagalli jumoed on my back and pushed me on a chair where she held my arms away from Myrna's throat. The older lady put the probably very expensive cashmere shoes in my feet with expertise.

"Let me go! I've had enough of this Cagalli!" I said, losing my patience. "Come on, work with me, Kim! Do this for me, it's be for a couple of hours." She said. I stopped struggling and let Myrna do as she pleased with my already ashamed body. **I hope this is worth it.** As soon as I was coiffed and perfumed, we got out and walked in the long corridors of the Yula Atha mansion. I prayed and prayed really hard not to bump into Seth looking like this...in vain. God must've been shitting on me from the heavens because Seth was just waiting around the corner in a tuxedo. I tried to look away, evading my friend's gaze but he seemed eager to stare at me.

"Holy shit! Look at you, Kim!" he said, his blue eyes sparkling with surprise. I rolled my eyes and shook my hand like the Queen of England, earning a laugh from Cagalli.

"Yeah, you look more like a Princess than me, Kim. You want to be heiress of a country called Orb, Kim?" I shook my head politely and Myrna hushed us into another diving corridor without end. My feet were already killing me and I was fairly sure that Seth stepped on my dress a couple of dozens of time already. He was really looking fine, even thought I hated to admit it: his cerulean eyes matched his bowtie quite well and the blond strikes in with wheat hair really had caught my attention.

"Can you stare at him _more,_ Kim? I mean, you're being _way_ too obvious, here..." whispered Cagalli while Seth was talking to Alfred.

"I am not staring at my best friend just because he looks hot, you understand?" I said, trying to keep my voice down. Finally, Cagalli stopped in front of the biggest wooden door I've seen in my whole life and smiled.

"My father is always in his study. I'm so excited!" she said, trying to hide her joy, out of etiquette. "You can go in now, young folks." concluded Alfred, opening the door by pressing a red dot on the wall. The gigantic doors opened and Cagalli escorted us inside. This wasn't a study, it was a national library! Every single book must've been in there! This was so huge I haven't notice Seth's arm trailing his way on my waist. I snapped and frowned at him, pushing his arm away.

"What was that?" I asked him. "I would like to be closer to you, Kim, if that's even possible. I..." but his sentence was cut short from Cagalli calling us. We went in the central part of the library and I saw a man patiently waiting, sitting at a wooden table, sitting straight and looking sharply in our direction.

"Father! I'm so glad I can finally see you!" said Cagalli, forgetting everything she learned about etiquette in her life and running to Uzumi, hugging him. This man was kind, it seemed and I was surprised he even hugged her back, considering signs of affection are not suitable for people of their stature in the political world. "I missed you so much, my darling Cagalli... I was concern for your return when as I was contacted from our military base saying the Archangel was attacked by ZAFT... I'm so glad." He said to his daughter, letting her out of his embrace.

"Oh, Father! I forgot! This is Kim Desjardins and Seth Yoshiro, pilots on the Archangel. They saved alongside other pilots like Commander LaFlaga and Kira Yamato the Desert Dawn, back in Africa." She said, introducing us. Seth shook hands with the Lord and I took my dress and bent a little, showing I was ravished by his presence with moves, not words.

"Sit down, young people... Actually, I would never admit it, but I always ask my guests to sit down because I'm the one with weak knees..." he said, laughing a little. Seth and I politely laughed and Cagalli helped her Father to sit. "So, I've heard great things about you two. I'm sure you've made great friends with Cagalli and it's my duty as a father to learn about her friends so... Seth, where do you come from?" he asked. "I am originally from Saporo, Japan. I moved to the United States when I was four. My mother is Japanese and my father is American, by the way. It's just that sometimes, people ask me why I don't look Japanese much: you have to answer now." They talked about his journey to the path of pilot and we were forced to lie, since we now knew that Orb was plotting a little against the Earth Forces, meaning against the Division as well.

"Where do you come from, Kim? You have, if I can permit myself, an unusual name." He asked. I thought a little. **Should I tell him my true identity? Would that reveal too much? **"I come from America, sir. It's not very exciting but my parents were natives so I don't look Japanese at all." I said. He laughed and looked at Cagalli. "She's funny." He said. "Yeah, she tends to be that way sometimes, when she's not on the battlefield." Said Cagalli. "Yes... I've heard you're a magnificent pilot. You can match no problem those ZAFT pilots, am I right? And you pilot a...what exactly?" he asked. "I pilot a _GX0-57O1 _GUNDAM Valliant." I said.

"That's one of our models, am I right? You have probably noticed that Orb's technology is quite different that the Earth Forces, am I right?" he asked. "Yes, Orb's is much more qualified for my job, which is to protect the people that are important to me." I said, looking at Seth and Cagalli. "Seth also pilots one of your models, _CZ-98O1 _GUNDAM Outpacer." I said, trying to switch the questions back to Seth, feeling a bit uneasy. "Yes, I love my machine very much. We went through a lot with these GUNDAM." Said Seth.

Hours passed and finally, Lord Uzumi had to retire himself to his chambers. Cagalli and I talked and Seth was walking behind us, looking lost and tired. Alfred and Myrna escorted us back to our separate changing rooms and Cagalli and I changed back into our usual clothes. Myrna took back the 'perfect dress' and put it back onto the rack, along with the 'perfect but painful shoes to go with the dress'. I could finally breathe normally and Myrna and Cagalli escorted us back to the entrance door. Seth soon joined in and was still looking a bit distant with me. I shrugged it off and hugged Myrna and Cagalli. "I hope we'll see each other soon." She said, also telling us she had meetings in the upcoming days. "Yeah... Me too." I said, feeling uncontrollably guilty that I couldn't tell her the truth about the Division. Seth and I exited the manor and he seemed like he didn't want to talk to me at all. **What's his problem?**

"Hey, are you pissed of something? I know when that happens: your eyebrows tend to have that weird curve, Seth. What's the problem?" I asked him. "Nothing, it's not important." Was all he said of the trip back to the dock where the Archangel was actually repaired and upgraded. **It's not like him to pout. What the hell is he thinking about? It's bugging me!** When the car stopped at the hangar where the Archangel was hidden, Seth swiftly got out and headed inside alone, his hands in his pockets. He had completely left behind. I thanked the chauffeur and headed inside, determined to find out what the fuck was going with him.


	13. Phase 13

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

As I entered the dock's hangar, I saw the Archangel being repaired and packed up with supplies. Its main ramp was open and trucks of all sorts were getting in and out of it with boxes and garbage. I looked more carefully and I saw a truck holding the precious regenerescence tank that Seth and I took back from the Star-Strike. **That's...! What are they doing?** I ran down the stairs and saw Murdoch arguing with the chief of operations. I walked to him and he frowned at me.

"Can you believe these guys almost dropped the tank contained living people in it? They took a bump and almost crashed it! All they can say it 'oops, we're sorry!" Can you believe this!" he asked, incredulous and furious at the same time. I angrily frowned at the man, who tried to explain what happened.

"You see, since the Archangel is being repaired, there was a lot of turbulences on the ship so when we tried to disembark that tank, it kind of...snapped open." he said.

"WHAT? What do you mean, _it kind of snapped open_? You just told me that nothing had happened to it! These people are dead by now!" screamed an outraged Murdoch. **What...? These people... are dead? We all knew this tank was very fragile but this is **_**unacceptable**_**! These people inside this survival tank knew the truth! They were our only hope! They knew what happened to the Star-Strike and to the Vengeance!** I took the guy by the collar, blinded by tears of rage. "_It's all your fault_! You weren't supposed to even touch that damn thing! It wasn't of your business! Who gave you orders to disembark it!" I screamed to him.

"It was Commander... Lady Badgiruel... She asked me to bring them off the Archangel... because she thought it was time for these people to finally get to a doctor... I'm sorry, I didn't it was so...!" he said, whipping tears off his face. "You! You're **so** going to hear about this, you can count on me!" I said, letting the poor man go.

I was so furious I forgot about Seth. I could still sense the tears rolling down my cheeks as I passed Commander LaFlaga, who was standing on the ramp next to the Archangel. He took my arm and looked me in the eyes. "What is going on with you? What is it?" he asked gently.

"Ask the other fucking Commander around here!" I screamed, snapping my arm from his grip. I opened one of the sliding doors of the Archangel and entered the in-repair ship. I angrily walked through the corridors and took the elevator to the cockpit. The control room was right as the end of the corridor and I made sure my steps were loud enough for them to hear it before the sliding doors would open to reveal a very ugly side of me. When I pressed the button, the sliding doors glided open and I saw Murrue Ramius talking with another of her subordinates, completely unaware of what happened.

"Captain! Are you the only one here with authority or am I to be scared anybody on your crew is allowed to give orders!" I asked her, obviously taking her by surprise. "Excuse me, can you wait outside? I have to talk to one of my pilots..." she asked to the man. "Of course, Captain... I'll be waiting outside." He said, leaving the room.

"What's going on with you!" she asked, surprised. "Who the fuck are you to give supreme authority to Commanders, here! Are you aware of what your lack of responsibility has caused, Murrue?" I asked her, my voice cracking with sobs. "As everybody here, you shall call me..." I immediately cut her off. "Shut the **fuck** up! I don't care about formalities anymore! You caused unimaginable damage to Seth and I and yet you don't even know about it! How dare you!" I screamed, heading for the collar of her vest. "What are you talking about?"

I shook her up and yelled out of frustration. She tried to not show signs of pity but my crying was very bad and I could see it in her face quite clearly that she truly didn't know what the subject was about. "Commander Badgiruel ordered to disembark the regenerescence tank from the Archangel. The guys who moved it out opened the hatch and the people in it died! How can you let this happen to _Seth_? How can you have let this happen to _me_? You knew this was important and now the truth about the attack on the Star Strike is gone!" I said, throwing all of the shit at her. She seemed disturbed by what I said and took a moment to analyze the situation.

"This is truly terrible...! I have no idea what to say to you... I am so sorry..." she said, patting my back. "Don't touch me!" I said, pushing her back aggressively. "Wait 'till Seth hears about his! I knew you guys weren't fond of me but I knew you liked Seth very much. I imagine how Seth will be crush by this if I don't inspire you much." I said, venom in my voice. "Please... we'll try to fix things... Just listen now..." she tried to convince me but nothing would put me out of my rampage.

"I don't care about this crap! It's never going to bring them back!" I said, turning my back to her and leaving to the room. I punched on the corridor walls as I walked to Seth's room to tell him what happened. I took the elevator and it stopped at the floor on top of the hangar, where the dorms are. I walked angrily in direction of Seth's room when I heard a noise that was muffled. **What the hell is this! Is this some kind of joke?** It was a sound I recognized because I had made it back with Seth at the desert... a moan of pleasure. **Whoa.** I walked in the direction of the now very loud noise and fell right on Seth's room door. **No this is impossible... Must be someone else than him, it's got to be...** I slowly pressed the button and the sliding doors opened, revealing a very painful sight: Flay Allster was naked, on top of Seth, doing whatever she was doing while he enjoyed it. _They were having sex. _I gasped and clutched to my heart. So much pain had just hit me like a ton of bricks. "What are you...? What are you doing here?" screamed Flay, getting off of Seth. She was quickly getting dressed and Seth sat on the edge of his bed and put on his boxers. I was so angry and pained my body took control of my movements and for the first time in my life, I ran away. "Wait, Kim!" screamed Flay, but I was already far away, in the elevator. **Oh my god... What is happening to me? Why is everything crumbling around me...? I've gone soft... I've gone too soft to my taste and this pain wouldn't ever happened if I stayed Commander... I've stayed way too long on this fucking ship. I'm leaving and this time, for good. **I jumped off the elevator as soon as the doors opened and got out of the hangar by the back door. Metal fences were everywhere and there was no way for me to escape Orb's dock... alone. I saw a telephone on the outside hangar wall and did what I waited to do for a long time: call the Division Headquarters. I pressed the numbers that I repeated over and over in my head for years and it rang. I waited three seconds exactly and someone finally answered, but the voice never came.

"My name is Commander Kim Desjardins and I want someone to escort me to the Headquarters. I'll be waiting at Orb's docking hangars number 3. Be there." The line cut and I hung up the phone with a ruckus.

The sky was now tainted with beautiful colors of red and orange as the sun was setting down. I looked up and heard a voice coming from the other side of the fence. I looked more attentively and saw a group of workers dressed in blue talking with sitting on a bench. "How do we know the Archangel is here...? asked the first voice. "If it's here, it's here and if it's not, it's not. We'll look somewhere else." Said the second voice. "Dude, check out the car that's coming! So nice!" said a third voice. "Yeah, you would look like a pimp in that, you know..." said the fourth voice. These men wore baseball caps so I couldn't see their faces but I knew I had heard them from someone, especially the one at far right of their group. I looked at the car that was coming their way and saw the _Division_'s symbol of the front passenger's door. I approached the door to lead to the insides of the hangar but I thought back. **I can't and won't go in there. I'll just have to jump the twenty feet high fence.**

I walked to the presumed electric fence but there was nothing, not even a sparkle going on there. **I guess the security guy is asleep or something...** I took a good grip at the metallic bars and began my ascension towards the top. "Is that chick crazy? She's going to bust her legs if she jumps from there!" screamed a worker, at the other side of the street. My black hair was savagely blowing in the wind and when I reached the top, I looked down on the other side.

I took a deep breath and jumped down. My feet touched the ground elegantly, just like a cat falling down a tree. I walked towards the black car and took one last glance at the workers before entering the car. It was there that I saw Yzak's blue eyes looking straight in my direction. I still had tears running down my face from all of the deceptions those bastards ha put me through today. I was about to smile back to him but I restrained from doing so. I knew I recognized those voices: they were the ZAFT soldiers that attacked us numerous times. I looked at Yzak, who seemed to have silently recognized me also and I closed my eyes, tears sliding down my face. **I've had enough of this bullshit. No more feelings of the sort. See what happens when you let someone in? The guy sleeps with the girl that shot him in the arm. And I was the one who kept him alive for years... Nice going Seth. Now, you're on your own. You're dead to me. **I looked at Yzak and cut our silent communication, entering the car. **You too.**

"My name is Vladimir. I will escort you to the Head of the _Division_. You've made yourself quite popular out there, Commander Desjardins. Everybody thinks you joined the Earth Forces. You caused quite a laugh back at the Headquarters." He said. "Vladimir, I have a fully loaded gun hanging on my belt and if you don't shut up and drive, I'll fucking use it." I said to him, looking outside. "Of course, Commander." I looked on last time at the hangar and shook my head.


	14. Phase 14

The ride with Vladimir was silent and smooth. I tried to chase the images of Flay and Seth out of my head by my mind seemed to enjoy the way these sequences tortured me. I was not in a state of shock but merely shaken, taken aback. I couldn't muster the thoughts of why he did what he did. My eyes were still itchy and my body furious so I thought that nothing would break this anger I felt but time alone. I looked at my gun and just wondered why I just didn't shoot myself all of those years ago, when the loss of my parents was unbearable. I just would have taken a gun, put it to my head and shot the definite blow. **I had something to prove back then... I had to prove that this anger would bring me somewhere along the best. I guess I wasn't wrong, but at what cost? I just lost my best friend because I'm so confused all the time: any normal people would've chosen a quiet life with the ones they love but I keep pushing people back, like two negative sides of a magnet. The only who truly had invaded my mind without me erasing him is... **_**Yzak**_**.**

"Where's your subordinate, Commander? I heard from Headquarters that you had someone with you, a friend perhaps? Someone you travelled with that is also part of the _Division_...?" said Vladimir. I shook my head angrily and sighed. "No, he won't come. He wasn't going to anyway. He's going to stay with the Earth Forces this time." I said. "Someone, you have to choose between the pay and the emotions." Vladimir said to me. "Never mind the money! I don't do it because I'm paid exceptionally well! I have... other reasons." He laughed and gave it up. "You have to be lying: no one kills on bounty for pure pleasure." He said. He revealed the true nature of the _Division_: we weren't just taking part in the war; we were paid to fight whoever needed our support. It wasn't a bit gratifying to hear those words, but it was I needed for all of these years of pain. Somebody had to pay for what those bastards did to me and it would be anyone in my way.

"You're still young... why don't you get out of it?" asked Vladimir, his eyes hidden behind thick sunglasses but obviously staring at me. I growled and lost my cool. "Who are you to ask me those questions? I am your superior and that should suffice! Shut the hell up before I blast your face!" I said, pointing my gun to him. He seemed relaxed, at ease with the situation even though anyone else would've panicked. "You're hurt, Commander Desjardins. You don't kill because you want to: you kill because you don't know what else to do to relieve to pain you have inside of you." I was about to pull the trigger when I heard a familiar voice ring in my head. _"You always have control."_ Yzak's voice was painfully signing in my head as I regained my composure and sat back in the passenger seat quietly. **I am not cruel: I don't feed on other people's suffering. This isn't me. I'm just try to do what's best... and it never god damn works!**

"Make it quick and I hope you won't look back." Said Vladimir, stopping the car. I haven't noticed that we had arrived at the entrance of the HQ. It was a very usual and common building among others and was made of red bricks. I entered the building by the sliding glass front doors. Inside, it seemed like chaos: already the stress of the last fight with the Archangel and ZAFT was being disputed by secretaries, who worked on their computers. Other were running all around and screaming too, looking stressed out. I walked among the living hell that was HQ and took the elevator to the fifth level, where I would register. I got out of the elevator and immediately when to the desk and talked to the secretary. "I'm here because I need to talk to my superiors." I asked. She swiftly typed some notes on her PC and looked back at me. "Can I see your ID, please? It'll take a minute, don't worry." She said. I passed her my ID card and she put in the laser scanning machine. She smiled.

"I am happy to see you alive, Kim Desjardins." She said. "It'll be Commander Desjardins next time." I said to her. "Of course... I beg for your forgiveness, Commander." She said, bowing. She continued to do her security procedures and made several calls. I looked around and saw offices everywhere I could look at: people working their ass off every day and every night, only stopping to eat and to rest a little.

"Commander, Lieutenant Shackle is waiting for you in his office, on the 23rd floor. If you take the elevator, you'll have to turn left and continue walking until you reach a second corridor and you turn right. His office is at the far end this corridor. Have a good day, Commander Desjardins." She said, approving. "You too." I said back to her. I took the elevator and pressed the 23rd floor button. It was cramped up and jammed in the elevator: it was small and all three wall of it was covered in mirror. I couldn't help but to look at myself: I looked tired, famished and angry. I tried to change expressions, but I couldn't, even with all of my might. When the elevator reached the floor, it stopped and the sliding doors opened. I walked out and followed the instructions the secretary had given me. After the long left corridor, I turned right and followed the path to the end of the right corridor.

I could hear angry voices and people screaming behind closed doors. When I reached Lieutenant Shackle's office, the sun was almost down and I suddenly felt tired. I knocked on the door and waited. Someone came to open the door and he looked at me like I was a piece of gold. "Commander Desjardins, come in!" said the big boned man, showing me in. I stepped in and looked around: that man must've been loaded because everything was expensive here, even the lamps of his office looked like they belonged to a multibillionaire. He invited me to sit around a table, along with dozens of men in the Division's military uniform. "You can sit now..." he demanded. I was a bit nervous and I didn't really know what to expect from this meeting.

"Make yourself comfortable, Commander Desjardins. You had a long trip from space down to Orb." Said the Lieutenant. I took a deep breath and looked around me: all of the men around the meeting table were from the Division's high ranked military. "Where do you want me to start?" I asked him. The Lieutenant looked at his crowd and replied: "By the beginning. Tell me about you first of all. Will you answer the questions I'll ask you?" he asked. I nodded silently and waited for the bombs to come down on me.

"What's your full name?" he asked.

"Kim Marie Desjardins." I replied.

"When did you become part of the Division and under what authority?" he continued.

"It's my tenth years this year and... Colonel DuFlamme took me under his wing when my natal city was attacked."

"When did you become a pilot?" he asked.

"I became a pilot at age ten. I have had the same machine since. It's a model _GX0-57O1 _GUNDAM."

"Did you take part in any battles that you might consider 'grand' or of importance?" He asked.

"I... when we were in space, I fought a group of ZAFT Elite pilots along with my subordinate. As I travelled on Earth, I took part in the great battle of the Desert, against ZAFT and its infamous Andrew Waltfeld, commonly known as the Desert Tiger. I soon fought multiple times against those ZAFT Elites again and... I fought the forces on Junius Seven before... the nuclear attack."

"You have a great history overall, Kim Desjardins. Would you be so kind to explain to me what happened in space, when the Star Strike was destroyed?" he asked, curious. The military was still in suspense, listening to every bit of detail I could remember.

"My companion, Seth Yoshiro, and I were on the Star Strike the hour before it was... We were alerted that a mother ship of the Earth Forces named the Archangel was having trouble with a group of four ZAFT elite pilots. Since they had only one capable soldier with experience and a rookie for a shield, the Archangel would've been doomed with Seth and I so we were assigned a mission and it was to protect at all cost this Earth Forces legged ship. We defeated those pilots and they retreated back. The Archangel invited us in but I felt like something was going wrong, not planned. Then my superior, Commander Ruckus, had called me and told me to hurry back to the Star-Strike. When we got in range with the Star-Strike, we saw this wild explosion and knew."

"This is a tragedy, really... How many dead, in your opinion?"

"Too many." I replied.

"I see... so what did you do afterwards?" he continued.

"We came on Earth and embarked the Archangel until we reached Orb. We had complications along the way..." I said.

"What kind of complications?" he asked. I had piqued his curiosity.

"Well, I omitted to tell you that there were some survivors on the Star Strike. They were in a regenerescence tank, under strict minimum living conditions."

"This is great! We may have the information we need on the attack on the Star Strike! This is wonderful news!" he said, clapping his hands in joy. My face turned morose and I had a sour expression on my face.

"They're dead."

"...What...? I... How can... this be?" they said, incredulous.

"When the Archangel arrived in Orb, the merchandise on it was disembarked, along with the tank. The crewmen were irresponsible and dropped the tank, opened wide open the hatch. These crewmembers inside had no chance of survival without the immediate needs to their extreme diet they had in the tank. They probably died out of lack of oxygen." I said. I could see the red pumping in the Lieutenant's face. His expression turned to sadness to pure anger. "How could they have let done this? This is unforgivable!" He screamed. His loud voice resonated in my ears and I became dizzy for a moment.

"Simple human mistakes." I replied. The crowd of military people was outraged and muttering angry words under their breath. " I know how you felt. This is the main reason why I left the Archangel." I said, crossing my arms.

"What about your subordinate? Why isn't he here?" he asked. I remembered Flay and Seth having steamy sex in his dorm and I closed my eyes in pain.

"He was… _preoccupied_ and couldn't come." I finally replied.

"I guess it's time you get off that damn ship now, don't you think, miss Desjardins? We will escort you to this so called Archangel and you will pack your stuff and you come back to your legion." He said, his voice filled with anger and pride.

"What... about the Valliant? What about my mobile suit?" I asked him, distressed. He simply replied:

"I'll personally take care of it." He said. He escorted me out of his office and held me in until all of the gentlemen in were out. I looked at my Lieutenant and said: "I cannot go back there alone. I only have this to protect myself." I said, showing of my gun. He smiled and laughed.

"Who said you were going alone?" he said. "I'll be coming with you. You just wait on the rooftop and I'll have my men ready to depart to the docks." I nodded and he instructed me to go take the elevator to the roof top. I did was I was instructed to do and got outside of the 25th floor, on the roof of the Division's HQ. I saw an immense helicopter waiting there. It was mainly black with white diagonal stripes, the symbol of the Division. I got into the chopper and waited for the Lieutenant to join me in it. Minutes later, the husky man got out of the elevator and embarked the helicopter.

"I have called a transport cargo from the Air district. It will follow us to the inside docks, where this legged ship is supposed to be hiding. You'll have your machine back, I promise you." He said. I thanked him and the helicopter flew upwards, hovering west. The coasts of Orb were beautiful from the sky: the ocean was crashing down on the craggy rocks and the corral barrier surrounding it was shining with intense colors. It didn't take long before we reached the docks. The pilot contacted the man responsible for the dock harboring the Archangel.

"This is John Maghan from the _Division_! He demand your permission to land immediately!" he said through the mike. _Roger! Land carefully!_ Said the voice behind the mike. We smoothly landed on the 'H' sign and the Lieutenant and I got off as quickly as we got on. There were security guards along the entrances of the docks and my Lieutenant didn't lose time warning them.

"My name is Lieutenant James Shackle from the _Division_ district of Orb! I want permission to enter this dock and talk to the Captain of the Archangel!" he said. The guards received orders to let us in and we did. I was firmly clutching to my gun and inside the dock was the nearly done repairing Archangel. It didn't take time for the Lieutenant to find the entrance to this magnificent legged ship and I followed him. I explained to him how to get to the cockpit, or control room of the Archangel and he followed my instructions. Soon, we were getting of the elevator and heading to the sliding doors of the control room, Lieutenant Shackle regaining his cool composure. I opened the sliding doors and the man startled Captain Ramius.

"My name is Lieutenant James Shackle, from the _Division_ district of Orb! We came here for the requisition of the _GX0-57O1 _GUNDAM Valliant and all of Commander Desjardins's belongings." He said, surprising Murrue and Badgiruel.

"What's the meaning of this?" she asked me with furious eyes.

"I want what belongs to me! I am out of here the minute the Valliant is disembarked!" I said to her.

"I thought you were... continuing with the Archangel? I thought you were part of this crew!" she screamed. I laughed at her and shook my head.

"_You are a fool_. You really think I would stay on this piece of shit? After all that you made me endure for the past weeks? Are you mentally challenged? I thought my choice was clear. It was clear to_ me_ all along. You see, I'm not as dumb as you think: I used you, Captain. I used this ship for better purpose than war. I needed a lift across the desert and the sea. You think I would've let myself be captured by some ZAFT military? I knew, back in the desert, that I wouldn't make it alone, not with only another mobile suit to help me. I didn't the chance to be detected alone: I joined your crew and used the Archangel as a cargo ship, that's all. Now, those times are over! I am through with you people and I am going back home where I won't ever have to see your sorry faces again! Let me disembark the Valliant and we'll leave quietly." I said to her. She was so shocked she couldn't talk. Commander LaFlaga emerged from the lower level and sent death glares.

"I knew there was something fishy about your disappearance yesterday. You went away to alert your superiors about the incident." He said. "Yes she did and I wasn't completely charmed with the story either." Said Lieutenant Shackle, angry.

"Listen! You have to listen to me! This was a mistake...!" started Murrue, trying to be nice to my superior.

"This is absolutely outrageous! You are lucky I am not sending my fleet and my _best_ pilot at you, Captain! You should be ashamed of what you have caused! Get your stuff, Commander Desjardins, I'll take care of things here." He said, hushing me away. I ran back to the elevator and went to the level before the hangar. I ran to my room and packed my belongings, which weren't much, into a backpack the Division had equipped me with. The sliding door of my room suddenly opened and I saw Seth hurrying next to me. "Kim! You're here!... What're you doing!" he asked, incredulous. He touched my hand and I slapped his face.

"Don't ever talk to me again." I said, getting out of the room.

He followed me, insisting that I should listen to him. "Please, just listen! I was hurt and she... was there. There isn't anything going on between us, I swear! I am so sorry...!"

"I'd be even sorrier than sorry, Yoshiro! You're just like the rest of them men: you think with your penis! How can you lower yourself to have sex with the girl that wanted you dead by shooting at you! How could you do this to me!" I said to him.

"Kim, you never understood! I tried to tell you so many times but it's just wasn't happening...! I tried to tell you how I felt about you for so long! When I tried to tell you back at the Yula Atha manor, you pushed me away and I felt so miserable! I needed someone to love me, even if it was just for a moment..."

I turned my back to him and continued running to the elevator. He quickly chased me and grabbed my arm and pushed me on the ground. "_I love you, Kim!_" he blurted out. I growled in fury and jumped on him, taking my gun. He fell on his back and I on top of him, my gun inches away from his face.

"_You broke my heart! _You're such an idiot, Seth! You ruined _everything_! Kira loves that girl and… and… I **hate** you!" I quickly got off of him and ran to the elevator.

"How... How was I supposed to know!" was all he said.

"If you truly cared about me, you would've known." I said back, entering the elevator. The ride up seemed like an eternity and I rejoined with Lieutenant Shackle in the control room, where the arrangements had been made.

"Let's go Kim. My cargo ship is ready to take on the Valliant. You go in the hangar and pilot it out. You will then bring in the ship, you got it?" he asked. I nodded and hurried down to the hangar. I could see Murdoch muttering some really bad words and when he looked at me, he just glared. Everybody in this hangar seemed to have learned about our sudden interruption with their usual activity. "You want a piece of me!" I screamed to an engineer, who was looking at me for too long. I was about to run the flight of stairs when I saw Flay running towards me, blinded by tears.

"Please, Kim! Listen...! I didn't mean to..." I took a deep breath, turned back and with all of my strength, I pushed her face. She immediately fell on her butt, her hands on her hands, blooding streaming down her fingers. "You did anyway. You didn't have to go that far to dump Kira." I said to her.

I entered the Valliant in a hurry and started the engine. The hatch opened and I waited a moment, waited for them to close back: that moment never came. I was put on the ejection platform and propelled out of the Archangel and out of the dock swiftly. I could see the cargo ship waiting in the air, hovering slowly, waiting for me. I didn't look back: I would never look back again.


	15. Phase 15

When I landed in the cargo ship, I could see from my cockpit window Lieutenant Shackle and a few of his subordinates waiting for me to come off the Valliant. I opened the hatch of my cockpit and got out immediately, looking one more time at my Mobile suit: it was now the only thing in the world that belonged to me now. When I approached the Lieutenant, he was talking very loud to one of the engineers that took care of the machines inside the cargo ship. I didn't quite hear the exact conversation, but they were talking about business issues and replicas of some sort. I shrugged it off and looked around: the hangar was small compared to the one of the Archangel and it looked like the Valliant was the only machine on board.

"Lieutenant, are we going to disembark at the Headquarters?" I asked him.

"We are going to wait for a while: we're not sure how the Archangel took this sudden threat so I suggest you stay here and help the mechanic crew while we conduct the cargo ship to a secured place." He said.

"What do you what me to help with?" I asked. "We would like you to tell us exactly how the Valliant works and everything about his MOS. This will be kept in files, protected. We always need that kind of information in case the Valliant is destroyed and need to be rebuilt." He said.

"What if I don't want to divulge this so called 'information'? After all, I am in charge of this machine; I should decide whether or not I want its secrets to be revealed." The Lieutenant approached me and put his hands on my shoulders.

"We are not going to betray you, if that's what you're thinking about. The _Division_ works for its membership and the membership works for the _Division_. I would never allow anything to happen to this machine. I swear it on my name, Commander Desjardins. I know... you've had a rough time these past few days but everything is over, now. You don't have to worry about anything else besides yourself and this Mobile suit. Everything is taken care of for you." He said, reassuring me.

"Fine, I'll help, if that can help you end this stupid war." I said.

"Everybody here is grateful for what you've done for this Alliance. We are very grateful." He said, leaving with his subordinates, disappearing from the hangar.

The afternoon passed very quickly. I explained to the engineers that the Valliant was a unique prototype amongst other Mobile suits, though it resembled very much to the GAT-X models, like the Strike or the Duel. I said to them that my OS was somewhat different from others because, for unknown reasons, I found the original one to be too easy and too readable for my enemies. By complicating things a little, my movements were going to be more unpredictable and yet easier for me to control. They seemed a little bit freaked out by it but I explained that nothing is compared to the experience the Valliant was giving me on the battlefield.

As the day went by, the engineers had done the preparations on the Valliant and had restored it completely. I finished my day saluting them as they went away, out of the hangar. Since I was the only one left in the hangar, I decided I would sleep inside the Valliant's cockpit. I had done that many times over and it was the place I felt the most secured in. I took a blanket in the emergency kit and wrapped myself around with it. I slept as soon as I closed my eyes.

The next morning, I was abruptly awoken by the battle alarm in the hangar. I quickly got out and looked around for someone who would eventually explain why the hell we were attacked. I snatched the arm of a worker asked what was going on.

"It's the Archangel. They are attacked by ZAFT. Since we are in the battle range, we'll have no choice but to send you out for an overall view of the battlegrounds." He said. I nodded and went back in the Valliant's cockpit, folding the blanket and putting it behind my seat. I started the engine and contacted the control room.

"This is Kim Desjardins contacting Lieutenant James Shackle. I demand permission to be launched for a reconnaissance mission." I asked. A few seconds later he replied:

"_You may go out. I don't guarantee you'll come back unharmed, but it's for the sake of the ship that you go and tell us what's going on." _He said.

"That's fine. I've been there, already. I know what these guys want. They want the Archangel down, that's what. I've already faced them several times, sir. They are the same Elites I fought in the desert and during our trip on the Red Sea; along with the time we got a fight in Orb territory. I know how to handle them." I said back to him.

"_Excellent. You may go now; I'll give the permission to open the hatch. Be ready." _

I was put on the ejecting platform and the hatch opened before.

_System all green! Eject when ready!_

"Kim Desjardins, taking off!" I was outside now, looking at the bright blue sky above me. It was sunny and there wasn't one single, little cloud in the horizon. I pushed the speed lever and the Valliant raced off to the battlefield, about five miles from my position.

While I was travelling, I had enough time to think about my situation. **I'm part of the **_**Division**_**; I cannot accept being treated like a fool or receive unfair treatment from those space monkeys. I deserve to be Commander and in this alliance, I am treated as such. My best friend couldn't even give me that... I just can't swallow this whole sleeping-with-Flay thing, I just can't. I bet Kira's devastated. I know he likes Flay and that will remain unchanged. **I sighed. **What should I do, now? Should I just... follow my orders and stay out of it? What if it turns ugly and I can't put a stop to it in time? What will happen to the Archangel? What will happen to Kira and to... Seth? Ugh, saying his name is so not good. What will happen to... Yzak? Ugh, this doesn't sound right either... Why do I have to choose? Why do I have to choose between the two men I... lo-like? **_**Was I going to say love? Uh uh, no way**_**. I mean, I don't love Seth like I thought I did... and Yzak... I can't just... love a stranger? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY A COORDINATOR!**

"What the fuck am I thinking? This isn't right! It's not all right! I can't just have feelings for a Coordinator, a human of a different race and DNA than me! We're so different! It makes it impossible...even though... I kind of like him anyway. I mean, who wouldn't like this crazy, angry, independent son of a bitch? What am I saying...?" I said to myself out loud.

The battlefield could be seen by my position in the sky: I could see the Archangel being attacked and being shot at by those elites of ZAFT. The pink smoke emanating from the right Lohengrin positron blaster cannon was now blowing in the wind and the Igelstellung cannon shot a deadly beam in the sky, trying to hit blindly one of the enemy's Mobile suit. I flew a bit closer, taking mental pictures and videos in my head. Kira seemed alone against those four pilots, one of them being Yzak. The situation I was in was confusing enough: I felt like protecting the Archangel and at the same time wanting it down in the depth of the Atlantic Ocean, out of revenge. The Valliant moved onwards and I entered the two miles range. Of course, the Archangel was a sophisticated ship with the best antennas and radars in the industry so I knew that one way or another, they had detected my presence. As I thought, I was contacted from the legged and one of Captain's Commanders on board was the one to locate my position.

"... This is the Archangel speaking to the mobile situated at precisely two miles North West of our position. We ask you to... wait a minute... _It's the Valliant_!" A few seconds later, Captain Ramius had taken over the communication.

"This is Captain Murrue Ramius... You hear me, Kim... Answer me, please." she said. I felt a sudden urge to talk to her and to apologize for my bad behavior but I was too proud to admit my fault and let her talk some more.

"As you can see, we're in a bad situation right now... Kira's on the battlefield and Commander LaFlaga was hit by GUNDAM Buster... We're about to send Tolle out." I resigned my hatred and I finally spoke.

"What about... Seth? Why isn't he on the battlefield?" I asked her.

"He... doesn't want to go without you." She said. I closed my eyes and swore under my breath. "Please, Kim! You're our only hope! Help us!" she asked, desperate. I thought carefully about this as I saw Kira having problems with the Aegis. The red Mobile suit was piloted very aggressively and Kira couldn't manage three other Mobile suits. I growled and replied:

"I agree to help you. Are you finally letting me in mid-range, Captain?" I asked, hopeful.

"Do as you wish, I just want you to protect and help Kira the best you can. Seth just went in the hangar. He'll be ejected from the hatch shortly." She said before interrupting the conversation.

I flew past the Archangel and placed the Valliant onto the right, damaged part of the legged ship. I looked at the damage and concluded that it was minor and that I should not revoke my battle in mid-range for such minimal damage. I saw the Outpacer coming out of the hatch like a bullet and he stopped, obviously looking for something. I reached to him and pulled the Outpacer in a tight embrace with the Valliant.

"Seth, look, I was upset." I tried to phrase, but he cut my sentence.

"I know what you feel for me, Kim. You don't love me the way I love you. You should know that I'll wait all my life for you and that I'm sorry beyond words... I just can't say it any other way." He said.

"I am... _Seth, watch out!"_ I said, docking with my shield the light blade of the Blitz. Seth swiftly followed the Blitz and left me in front of the Archangel. I couldn't see Kira anymore and the Aegis had also disappeared from my sight.

"Captain? Where is the Strike?"

"Kira's fighting the Aegis higher above you! Concentrate on your duty, Kim!" she said while the Archangel was bombarded with missiles from the Duel. I looked at the greyish blue mobile suit and saw through my cockpit window Yzak's face: he was serious and seemed to have ignored me. I flew behind him, trying to get his attention.

"Yzak, what are you doing?" I asked him. He turned his Mobile suit's front face to me and aimed a gun at me. "I don't understand!" I said to him, also pointing my gun at him.

"I can't do you any more favors, Kim. We're at war against each other! What the hell do you expect from me?" he asked, furious.

"To not... be... Never mind. You wouldn't understand even if I tried to tell you." I said back to him, lowering my riffle gun. He was about to back away, but I held the Duel's hand strongly and frowned.

"Yzak, why do I feel this way when I see you on the battlefield? Why do I have to feel such a crash every time we cross paths? What did you do to have these effects on me?" I screamed back to him, holding on the Duel harder than ever.

"This is war, Kim. We can't afford to feel things for each other. It would be too painful if..."

"So you do feel the same way, right?" I asked him. He was about to reply when I heard a gasp coming from him. I looked at my left and my eyes widen: the Blitz was meters away, charging right at me with a laser sword, aiming directly at my cockpit. I wasn't concentrated enough to have noticed that something was strange on the battle field. If I wouldn't have been so reckless, I would've noticed that the Blitz had disappeared in the clouds, waiting for the right opportunity to strike from above. Instinctively, I let every command go and anticipated the painful death that sword would cause to me. Even if I wanted to, I never would've had the time to draw my shield in front of me and time stopped. _Three, two one…_

When I opened my eyes, I was blinded by a brilliant white light. I tried to look away, but I couldn't. I touched my arm to make sure I wasn't dead and I realized that something had stopped the collision between me and the sword. I looked in front of me and saw the green Aile pack of the Outpacer pierced with a laser blade. My body started trembling on its own and I put my hands against my mouth. Tears rolled down my cheeks as the Outpacer's body disintegrated before my eyes, exploding in a violent seism.

I was shaken aback and tried to regain control of the Valliant, who was falling down, in direction of the sea. When I stabilized my Mobile suit, I looked up and screeched out of fury. Seth had protected me from the fatal hit, sacrificing his body and his soul to defend my life. My hands gripped the speed lever of the Valliant and my body trembled from rage. I closed my eyes and tried to calm that growing hate inside of me but this feeling overwhelmed my human body faster that I envisioned. My heart was beating against my rib cage and it looked like it was about to burst out from the suffering I was experiencing. I should've been more careful, more aware of my surroundings... I should've been the pilot I've always had been before this!

"What's... what's happening...?" I said out loud, looking at my hands. They seemed to move on their own, pressing on the speed lever harder than ever, wanting the Valliant to make this son of a bitch pay for this abomination. The tears had stopped to be replaced by this blinding hate in my eyes. **They took him away from me... They took him away for ever... I'll never see him again... Never...**

This sudden rush of pumping adrenaline flowed like a river in my veins, destroying every ounce of humanity along its way. Every single moral barrier was slowly being destroyed by the mix of anger, hate and pain running under my skin. My breathing was labored and I couldn't contain the amount of oxygen I needed to stay calm and restrained anymore. I started taking deep breaths and tried to vanquish this anger: it felt so good, like it was the right emotion to feel right now. Even now, I think it was more than anger: it was the realization that I had lost the most precious thing in my world to some Coordinator scum: my best friend, my brother, my father... That man took Seth from me... _I would take the Blitz's pilot down... in hell where he belonged... Along with his damn race!_ I felt it snapped: it was like all of my abilities were enhanced in a moment, boosting my genetic to its peak. **You will be avenged.**

"If the pilot who destroyed the Outpacer and its pilot is listening to my voice right now... I will tell you that you don't have to worry about the pain of being a Coordinator anymore... _I will take you life_! I will destroy everything that is precious to you and I guarantee you'll hear my curses from hell, _**where you belong!**_"

Everything was much sharper to my eyes: the clouds, the sky and the smoke of the explosions, the beams shot at every single moving thing... I felt so powerful, like I could do anything... including killing that son of a whore. I pressed on the speed lever and reached maximum speed within seconds: it seemed the Valliant also felt this rush running in every fiber of my body.

I looked around me, shooting everything in my way that wasn't supposed to be Earth Forces. I saw the Buster, standing on a jet platform, shooting deadly beams at the Archangel. _**You go first! **_I took out my laser sword and flew under the gliding Mobile suit, taking the pilot by surprise. He never would have time to move out of my trap: I sliced the platform in two, making the device explode into millions of pieces. The Buster wasn't a fast mobile suit and the Valliant was more than enough to destroy him by over speeding it. "_Dearka, behind you_!" screamed Yzak, looking behind him. I already planned everything in my head: I would cut the legs off, then the arms and finished of my crushing the pilot in its own machine. It would hurt and it would be a perfect move.

"DIE!" I slashed a whip of sword against the legs of the Buster, sending it flying downwards. The pilot had difficulty stabilizing its machine and took out my laser knives and cut both of its arms off, leaving the Buster without members and limbs. I looked down and stayed still. **He'll drown. **The Buster was spiraling downwards and was about to hit the raging waves of war. I snapped and looked behind: the Duel was flying downwards and caught the Buster's only remaining part, which was the chest area and held on to it. I remembered I had better things to kill and turned around and departed from my location and headed upwards, where a bigger battle was happening.

I could see the Strike battling with the Aegis: the red Mobile suit obviously had the advantage and I saw a black spot moving fast behind Kira's back. I couldn't believe it: it was the Blitz! The cracking of my moral barriers had exploded and I propelled the Valliant upwards, aiming my knives at the black mobile suit. "_You_ _sneaky mother fucker_! EAT THIS!" I threw a knife in his direction and the black Mobile suit and this one stopped from his path and looked at me, right in the eyes. My body was trembling more than ever and I couldn't muster the spasm my body was experiencing anymore.

The silence of this pilot was mind-boggling. It was driving even crazier than what I had turned right now and I could feel dripping beads of sweat on my forehead.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" The Valliant sliced though the air and I was able to grab one of the Blitz's arms. This seemed to take Nichol, its pilot, by surprised. I had locked on my grasp on the black mobile suit. I had time to look around and noticed a small rocky island below us. I punched the Blitz right in the cockpit, probably shocking the shell of this murderer and I took advantage of the situation to throw him on the floating rock, damaging the Blitz in the process. I soon followed him and landed over the black metal carcass. I took out my riffle gun and aimed right at the hatch of the cockpit. I knew he was conscious and I wanted him to feel his body pierced by the green positron beam that would make his body explode. **You will be avenged!**

I smiled and was ready to feel the sudden weight of this kill on my shoulders. After all, I had many murders under my belt but this would feel more gratifying than any other kill I had done. This would finally mean something and nothing would stop me: he was at my mercy, he was stuck against my cruelty. I could remember the last thing Seth had told me and it was just before he...

_"I know what you feel for me, Kim. You don't love me the way I love you. You should know that I'll wait all my life for you..."_ **You have lost your life now because of me... and him! It's the final waltz... it's the ultimate revenge...**

I noticed that even if I tried to pull the trigger, my fingers would enter the code on the keyboard of the Valliant. I wasn't able to concrete my words. This liquid vengeance running in my veins had destroyed ever principle and barriers I had except for one...Yzak's voice... _"You always have control." _**What am I thinking? Why isn't my body responding to me? Why can't I do this?**

"Nichol, snap out of it! Let me take care of this!" I could see the Aegis approaching at an alarming speed. The Blitz took advantage of my confusion and had escaped. I looked up and saw the Aegis falling down with a sword ready to slice my cockpit in pieces. I moved away before his pink laser sword hit the ground, piercing through it like a needle in human flesh. I felt a presence behind me: Kira's Strike had also rejoined the Aegis, not wanting to stop the fight. "Kim, move. Stay back, I'll finish this." He said, holding out his rage by clenching his teeth. **NO! I AM NOT FINISHED!**

"Never." I said back, looking at the Aegis, readying my next weapon. I didn't even have time to take a step when I heard the murderer's voice.

"Get out of the way, Athrun! I've got her this time!" he said, the Blitz's black reappearing. I had been informed that this peculiar Mobile suit had the ability to go invisible and so it did at the most crucial part of this battle. I could see his laser sword aiming right at me but this time; he would die by his own cowardice. The Aegis parted away, high in the sky, waiting for the Blitz to make the final assault. I could feel Kira behind me, his mind blocked my surprise. The black mobile suit was meters away now and I had waited for the right moment.

Nichol had missed his target and stopped in front of me, looking straight ahead in fear: Kira had deployed his large laser blade and swung the chuck of metal over my head, hitting the Blitz's cockpit like a ton of bricks. He let go of the weapon and grabbed the Valliant's arm, pulling us away from the explosion. I could see that everything around us stopped: every single Mobile suit, Mobile armor and Skygrasper and stopped moving, looking at the horrifying scene. I had returned to normal, my heart starting to pump blood the usual way. I looked behind me and could only feel what Kira was feeling this moment: shameless.

"What... what have I..." he tried to explain but no words would come out.

"You should've let me do this... Kira... I don't know what to say..." I said, tears of shame escaping my eyes. I could feel this feeling he had bulked up inside of him and I cried. It had been a long time since I cried like this: real sobs of sorrow and real tears of shame. We pulled in a tight embrace and waited for the remaining ZAFT elites to escape to their mother ship. We would wait until we couldn't cry


	16. Phase 16

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

The island where we were was desolated and almost completely destroyed by the Blitz's explosion. Kira had regained his composure and I tried to do the same but I knew it would be harder for me: I was the one who ordered the child to destroy the black Mobile suit; I was the one who pushed his trigger. The Valliant got up and I looked at the Strike: it was still. The Aegis wasn't far away because I could see its body, no longer red, on the ground, speechless. I felt that someone was approaching: I looked on my radar screen and two red dots were flashing on it: it was the Buster and the Duel. They landed on the island and prepared their guns. Fire was raging around us from the Blitz's debris and I could hear Dearka and Yzak, dumfounded, through my mike.

"Nichol...!" Dearka seemed more sadden by the horror than Yzak, who seemed to be more shocked than anything else.

"Can't be! You did this! You pay, Strike!" he said, obviously pointing his hate towards Kira. "Athrun! We're here!" screamed Dearka. They pressed on the triggers of their positron guns and shot at Kira aimlessly, desperately trying to land a hit.

"Stop it! Stop shooting! He's not at fault! It's... it's my fault!"

"Get out of the way, woman! He killed Nichol! He's the one who sliced him to pieces and made his Mobile suit explode!" screamed Yzak, who was very furious.

"I... I am his Commander! I gave him the orders!" The shooting stopped and I could hear Kira's breathing labored.

"What... What did you say?" asked Dearka, pointing his gun at me.

"_I said that I'm the one who made him do it!_ I should be the one to blame, here! If you want to shoot someone dead, then let it be me, not him! He acted on orders, _direct _orders. If he didn't do it... I would've been the one to shoot him down!" I said, trying to protect Kira.

"Kim, what are you...?" I snapped. "Shut up and go back to the Archangel! I'll... I'll take care of this." I said to him. The Strike elevated in the air and went back to his mother ship, his head full of questions. I turned back to face our fate: the Duel, the Buster and the Aegis were pointing guns at me and I could see a Z.A.F.T. underwater mother ship ascending. The dark green ship stopped by the island and Dearka made contact.

"You're alone, now. Drop the guns and get out of your cockpit. I want to see your hands high above your head, you got it?" The Duel approached and put his green positron gun on the Valliant's head. "You do what we tell you, bitch!" he said, pushing my Mobile suit around. "You... want me to surrender? Is that what you what to do, now? Where's your Coordinator pride, Yzak? Are you scared shitless again?" I asked him. He pushed the Valliant on the rocky ground and stepped on my cockpit's hatch. I could feel the pressure rising in the cockpit: it looked like the air was compressed. I had a hard time to breathe and the alarm set off. I looked on my screen and could read: _High air pressure._

"If you don't get out, you'll suffocate. It's your choice: you come with us or you die on this bloody mess of an island. You wouldn't want to be pathetic like your dead friend and die in vain too, right?" he asked. He had just pulled a string he shouldn't have pulled. That string broke and so did the Duel's arm. I snapped it broken and this had to take Yzak by surprise. "What the...?" I heard him say but our communication had been broken also.

"Shut up! Shut the _fuck_ up! He didn't die in vain, you hear me? He died protecting me!" I screamed, punching the Duel in the face.

"Yzak! What are you doing?" screamed an angry Athrun. "Dearka is aboard the Vesalius right now! Stop fooling around with her and bring her in!" Said Athrun, returning to the mother ship named Vesalius. "You stop moving and I won't hurt you. You move and you go down!" said Yzak, punching the Valliant in the face. "I'll _never_ surrender! I'm _not_ going to be a prisoner and I'm surely _not_ coming with you!" I took out the trench knife attached to the Valliant and plunged it the Duel's arm, making it out of order. "Shit!" he said, looking down at the Duel's arm, lying on the ground.

"I told you I'm not going to fuck around. I've never been captured and it's not going to happen today." I said, throwing the knife at the Duel's leg, breaking several wires.

"I also told you that you shouldn't mess with me on the battlefield and now you see why. I am a soldier, not some kind of poor little innocent girl. I have killed many, Yzak. You underestimate me. What if I tell you that I participated in the attack of Junius Seven? What if I tell you that I helped destroy one of ZAFT colonies? How would you react? I am not a beginner at this: I have trained and battled for years before this war. I have acquired knowledge of war in ways you can't even begin to imagine. I was _paid_ to kill your my kind. What do you think that makes me? I'm even worse than you in some ways... I guess, but it's the only way I had to express my hate towards... everyone. Stay out of my way, if you don't want it to happen to you."

"You... helped... with... Junius Seven? How can this be...? How can you do this to people?" he asked, destabilized and angry.

"I had strict orders, Yzak. I was a Commander at that time in the _Division_. Since I was so young, I guess it was easy to manipulate me and to tell you the truth, I didn't care. They could do anything they want with me: all I wanted was revenge. You wouldn't understand: when your parents, your home, your best friend and yourself is destroyed by Coordinators, all you want is for them to be erased from history. You know my motives now, Yzak."

"That... that doesn't change anything! You could have said "no"! All you had to do was to say "no!" You are stronger than this, Kim! They abused you! They caused even more damage than Coordinators did, don't you understand?" he asked, pointing a positron gun at me.

"I understand just fine. I understood faster than anybody else because I was forced to. I gave my word to the _Division_ that I would finish this war no matter what, even if it meant to hurt people senseless. You can't even imagine how much I hate myself, Yzak. I hate myself to not be strong enough every fucking time I need that strength! Today still... I cannot..." I cut my sentence, my voice breaking. Yzak was still for a moment, not moving the Duel at all. He seemed deep in thoughts. He lowered his gun and turned back.

"Go... Just _go_ **away**! I _never_ want to see you **again**!" he said, preparing to leave. I sighed and flew high in the air, looking back at the island. Yzak was still standing there, like he was sculpted in rock. I thought it'd be best if I would just return to the Archangel for the time being. The legged ship wasn't far away: it has been waiting for me and I contacted the control room so they would open the gates of the hatch. As soon as I was in, everybody ran in the Valliant's direction, asking me questions.

"What happened?"

"What did you do?"

"What did _they_ do!

"Are you hurt?"

"Will you be alright?"

"_**Leave her alone!**_ I'll take care of her!" said Mu LaFlaga's strong and grave voice. He snatched me from the worried engineer crew and took me in the elevator in silence. He broke the silence in the ascending platform.

"So... What exactly did you do, back there? I stopped following after Kira go here in a hurry."

"I told him to go back to the Archangel and that I would fix the rest. They wanted to capture me and the Valliant and go on their mother ship. They wanted me as a prisoner, a murderer of the worst race. You know... the usual. I told them that I wouldn't be captured and put in a rotten cell, waiting for them to transfer me to the PLANTS. I defeated the last mobile suit and went away. Here I am." I explained.

"Okay. The thing is... why did you return? I mean... here?" he asked.

"I had orders. My superiors asked me to survey the conflict and that's when Captain Ramius asked me to help you guys. You were short of two men. I stepped in and... and..." I could feel the sting of the tears in my eyes and whipped them away.

"I am deeply sorry for... Seth. We all are. The Captain asked me to fetch you and to bring you to her. She wishes to speak to you, I imagine."

"I am sorry, too." I mumbled. The elevator stopped at the control room level and Mu and I got off, still in silence. I looked at the ground while I walked. I couldn't do anything else: it was the only way I wouldn't cry. I could feel my body weight accentuating and I felt hollow. Mu opened his mouth to say something but he restrained himself, out of awkwardness. When we reached the sliding doors, Murrue was already waiting for me. She evacuated the control room and was the only one in the cockpit. Mu left and I stepped in awkwardly.

"Kim... I am so sorry for what happened today... I can't... even phantom what you're feeling right now. I... I... I don't know what to say..." she said truthfully.

"You don't have to say anything..." I said.

"I should have been more careful of my actions. Seth... died because of me. I take all the responsibility." I said but I was stopped by my Captain, who ran to me and hugged me with all her compassion.

"You don't have to! You don't have to take all the responsibility! Let me have some! Let me support you! Let _us _support you! We are a crew: we stick together! We don't run off to some sickening industry and turn our back on our friends, our true friends. We fight together and suffer the consequences of war together! That's what friends are for, Kim... Never forget... I understand if you want to be discharged of this ship and to go back to Orb, where you are supposed to be..." she said. I thought but I shook my head.

"No... I don't wish to do so anymore... I want to stay here and _fight_! I want to learn how to have friends and how to count on them whenever I need them and for them to count on me whenever they need my help. I wish to... change. I don't want to hate myself anymore." I said, hugging her back.

"You don't have to... Just don't live through this alone... Let us in sometimes..." she said. For once in a long time, I could feel love and understanding. I felt like my mother embraced me once more, like I could feel a kind of love that only a mother could give. I took my time and let this feeling overwhelm me completely: this seemed to have calmed down my nerves or even my anger; even it was just only a bit. I felt whole in some way, more powerful and most importantly: more like myself.

"Thank you, Captain. I... appreciate this very much, even if I was ungrateful in the past... I am sorry and from now on, you can fully count on me. Oh, one more thing... I have to go talk to Kira... could you tell me where he is?"

"He's probably in his room, thinking. You can always try the hangar but... I doubt he's there. Try his room." She said. I nodded and saw the other Commanders and Miss Badgiruel entering the room as I passed them. I stayed outside the door: it wasn't my fault really: I wanted to know the progress they were making.

"I believe you, Captain..." started Badgiruel.

"Thanks..." said Murrue.

"As there been any word from Alaska?" asked Badgiruel, worried.

"Nothing yet..." said one of the crew's Commanders. "There's too much interference..." he continued.

Both of the women sighed and looked worried. "At this speed, we should cross the Tropical Cancer sometime tomorrow evening... we'll try to make contact at that time." Said Murrue, disappointed by their base in Alaska's attitude.

"The Nazca class Vesalius is known for its speed: I only hope they lost track of us during our last encounter..." continued Badgiruel.

"We keep meeting that team...! They certainly are persistent." Said Murrue, even deeper in thoughts.

"I believe Commander LaFlaga said something about this team being Le Creuset's..." said Badgiruel.

"Huh...? But how can that be?" continued Murrue, surprised.

"I don't know if it's true... I just heard him muttering something about it..." said Badgiruel, also confused. **Who the hell is that Le Creuset man? I've never heard of him... Never mind. I have to find Kira. That is more important.**

After I got off the elevator to land on the dorms floor, I could hear Tolle talk about his adventures in the second Skygrasper and how close he was to death and such. Everyone seemed to have a pretty good time, but I couldn't hear Kira's voice anyway. I walked to his room and opened the sliding door. When I saw him on his bed, trying to sleep, I swore under my breath. **Damn! I didn't know he was asleep!**

"Kim... is that you?" he asked, getting up. His metal bird flew to me and landed on my shoulder. "Birdie!" it exclaimed, rubbing its hard body on my cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Kira! I didn't know you were asleep...! I'll come back later..." I said to him, about to go back out.

"No, please! Don't leave... I... actually... I wanted to talk to you... Would you like to come for a walk with me?" he asked, walking towards me. I nodded silently and we walked in the corridor, his bird still on my shoulder.

"I think he likes you. He generally doesn't show that kind of affection to... strangers." He said, looking at the metal animal. "Usually, animals don't like me. Your bird must be retarded." I said, chuckling. He also laughed, amused.

We made our way to the elevator and descended to the hangar level. He remained silent and I wondered why he asked me if I wanted to talk to him. We walked to the Strike and he looked up at him with a grim look on his face.

"Kim, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for your loss... It must be hard for you." He said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I sighed and retained my tears from falling down.

"I am even sorrier, Kira. I feel like... it's my fault." I said back to him.

"It's not your fault... It happens. We're at war and he thought he did something worth it when he saved you. He must've really cared about you." He continued. I couldn't keep tears rolling down my cheeks as I replied: "He had a huge fight before he died. He... Kira, I don't know if I should tell you this or..." He smiled calmly. "You can tell me anything you want." He said.

"I was so pissed at him before leaving the Archangel... I wanted to go talk to him and I found him in his room... having a happy time with... Flay." I said to him. Kira seemed shocked, surprised even. "With... Flay?" he asked, making sure I wasn't wrong.

"Yes. I refused to stay in that situation and he told me... he loved me... I didn't know how to react and I just threw a fit... He was like... mine... for all of these years and it paralyzed me when I saw him with her... I didn't want to hear about it anymore and I left... I should've told him I loved him! I should have! I could have but I was too confused! I am a monster...!"

"No... you're not a monster... You're a good person..." he tried to comfort me.

"I am a horrible person, Kira! I made you kill one of your kind. I triggered that pilot's death! I told you to kill him: what does that make me? A witch! A monster!" I said, pushing his hand away.

"It was my choice, Kim." He said, putting back his hand on my shoulder. "Also, you did real good not telling him you loved him, Kim: he knew, deep in his heart, that you didn't love him as a lover, a boyfriend. He knew you felt like a sibling love towards him and that's why he died for you: this kind of love is stronger than any other love. He knew it and he accepted it."

I erased the tears rolling down on my face and looked at him.

"Kira... I know about that turmoil you feel inside: I have felt it before. You're asking questions like: "Do I have to destroy him?" or "Is it really necessary?" I know how you feel about that Athrun boy. I know you know him well. I'll answer that one question for you, though: "What should I do about it?" My reply is: Don't do it, you'll regret it. I know there's no good way of explaining it, but you'll know it time what to do." He gave me a huge sigh and simply said:

"So be it."

The evening past as Kira and I talked about all sorts of things: where we used to live, what our lives before the war was like and what we liked and what we disliked: you know, stuff friends talk about.

"I can't believe you hate cats, Kim. I thought you didn't care much for animals." He said.

"No, I love animals: they just usually don't love me back. I love dogs and birds for example, but cats are a no-no for me. I hate their eyes, like they are prepared to jump on you or something. I would never have one even if you gave me one hundred bucks." I said, giggling.

"You don't like money much either!" he exclaimed, smiling.

"I don't like money either... it makes people... mad for it." I said, looking away.

We didn't even notice the night had disappeared to be replaced by morning. We talked all night, like it was something we wanted to do for a long time. It felt good to talk to someone who would actually care and understand what you said. I never really thought much about Kira in the past but now I see that this kid was something else. He made me feel complete again, like he... would replace Seth in some way, with time. I smiled and looked up, my eyes aiming at the ceiling of the hangar. **Seth, you've been a great friend to me, for all these years... I feel bad for not mourning your death much, but I can't cope with the tears anymore... I knew that you didn't want me to be sad by your departure... I always knew it. I find you in Kira now. **

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the Archangel violently tilting to the side, sending Kira and I flying ten feet away from our original position. "What the...?" he exclaimed, rubbing his head.

_All hands to level one battle stations! I repeat: All hands to level one battle stations!_

The alarm started with a ruckus and I looked at Kira, who got on his feet quicker than lighting and ran to the other side of the hangar preparing himself to pilot the Strike once again. I ran behind him, aiming for the Valliant. "Murdoch, is everything ready on the Valliant?" I asked the chief engineer.

"Everything has been repaired, Miss Desjardins! You can go in whenever you feel like it, but I would like for you to go in _right now_!" he said, hurrying me. I put on my combination and immediately jumped into the open cockpit of my loyal Mobile suit. Kira, who was ready first, was already placed on the elevating platform and was ready to be ejected. I was put second this time, Commander LaFlaga and his Skygrasper behind me. I was put on the elevating platform and dropped in the hatch, ready to be sent out.

_System all green! You can go when you're ready, Kim!"_

"Kim Desjardins, ready to take off, let's go!"

The sky had abruptly shifted from deep blue and without clouds with a greyish black and purplish clouds: it was a thunder storm, not the best decor for a fight. As soon as I was out, green positron beams were shot at me and I evaded quickly, almost taking a hit from the Buster.

"Kira, I'll back you up. I assume Commander LaFlaga will protect the ship." I said to him.

"Okay, just be careful! They're much angrier than before... it seems like they organized a fighting plan!" he said, avoiding the Aegis's beam.

"I follow you so you don't have to worry, Kira." I said back to him, arming the Valliant with its double-thick anti-positron beam material shield. The Aile pack of the Outpacer, which was repaired, was put on my machine and I could feel the flying being more fluid than before.

I could see the Aegis approaching at a deadly pace and Kira was already busy with the Duel and Yzak, I assumed I would take care of the red Mobile suit and its pilot, Athrun. He didn't know what my position was on the battlefield and he thought Kira wasn't watching his back. **Well I got a surprise for you, asshole! **He drew out his laser sword and swung it in Kira's direction put it was intercepted with my own sword, taking the Elite by surprise.

"I don't think you're about to do that today, Athrun Zala." I said, pushing the young man back, his Aegis struggling to fight a pace.

"Who... who are you, woman? What are you doing aboard the Archangel?" he asked, furious.

"My name is Kim Desjardins and I am the pilot of the Valliant, Mobile suit embarked on the legged ship named Archangel. I will not permit you to hurt us anymore! Just piss off and go back to whatever hole you come from!" I said, snapping his sword out of his machine's hand.

"Eat this you bitch!" I looked back and saw the Buster and its pilot Dearka flying right at me, holding his Igelstellung gun in my direction and shot. I evaded the beam, punched the Aegis out of my way and threw my laser sword in the Buster's direction, destroying his jet platform.

"How the hell is she able of doing this? She's just a fucking Natural!" screamed Dearka, losing his cool.

"Kira, behind you!" I said, seeing the Aegis sneaking in his back again.

"You don't understand, do you? Get the **fuck** away from him!" I said, aiming my sniper rifle at him, aiming at Athrun's machine. I was about to pull on the trigger when I was violently pushed around, losing control.

"Oh no you don't!" It was Yzak's voice.

I put the Valliant in a stable position again and could only see through my cockpit's window the Duel dashing for me with two laser swords in its hands. **Shit! **I evaded swiftly and turned the Valliant on its back, aiming the rifle at the Duel. I shot and the beam ripped its flying platform into pieces, making Yzak unable to stand on it again and to fly normally.

"How are you able to do this? _You're not supposed to be able to do this _**by nature**! This is inconceivable!" he screamed, throwing Helldarts in my direction. I shot them one by one and flew upwards to protect Kira.

"Yzak, get out of my way...!" I warned him, aiming my gun at him.

"It's against your own nature as a Natural! I can't see how you can do what we Coordinators can! You're a freak!" he said, throwing missiles at me again. "Get out of my way!" I said, punching the Duel in the far distance. **I'm coming Kira!**

The storm was getting heavier and the rain started to pour down. "Captain, is there any word from Alaska yet?" I asked, waiting for an answer. "How do you...? Never mind... No, there isn't anything from base yet..." she answered. "Tolle is getting out this instant. He'll assist you guys in combat." She said, cutting the communication. As I looked out, the second Skygrasper passed me and I saw Tolle waving 'hello' at me. **Don't goof around, kid.**

I looked up but I couldn't see Kira anymore. I started to panic as I looked around: no sign of the young Coordinator. "Kira!" said Tolle. I looked in the distance and saw the Strike in an emergency landing, on a small island, the Aegis following him. "Kira!" I put the lever speed at maximum and flew towards the island, pointing a gun at whatever was moving and could hurt the Strike or Kira.

"Kim! The Archangel is hit!" screamed Tolle, pointing at the descending legged ship, its rear in a cloud of black and grey smoke. **Damn! They're going to crash!** I looked at the Aegis, who was throwing out all of its fury on the Strike and flew to them, my other laser sword at hand and ready to destroy that god damn machine to protect Kira. The Aegis suddenly turned around and threw what looked like the right armour of its Mobile suit and threw it passed me. I turned around and gasped: the shield hit Tolle's Skygrasper, cutting it in half, making the flying warship exploded in a huge cloud of pink smoke. "Tolle!" My breathing was labored and I could feel this familiar rage building inside me and this time, I would let it consume me whole.

"DIE, YOU BASTARD!" I plunged along with the Valliant and took the laser swords in both of its hands and aimed it at the Aegis with all of my fury. I could see the Strike and the Aegis fighting to death now and the Aegis placed itself on top of Kira's Mobile suit and locked him into a deadly position. Now was my chance to land the final hit. **This is for Seth! **I landed the hit as promised and felt that something was wrong. **Why isn't it exploding? Oh no...!** My eyes widen as the Aegis self-destructed into a violent explosion. After a moment, all I saw was black.


	17. Phase 17

Light... Is there such a thing in Heaven as... light? I could feel my breathing was regular and slow. I could feel my legs and my arms, along with the rest of my body. Is there such a way in Heaven that you can stay inside your body? Do we keep our bodies when we die? I opened my eyes and was immediately blinded by the sun. I closed them again. **What's going on here?** I opened my eyes once again and put a hand in front of them since the sun was directly aiming at my face. I felt the bandages on my nose and looked at my arm, which was bandaged from my fingers to my shoulder. I tried to sit but I couldn't due to the pain in my mid-body.

"Please don't move! You'll hurt yourself even more!" said a very high pitched voice. **A woman... **I looked in the direction of where the sound came from and saw a blurry figure, a gentle silhouette. I blink to get rid of the blurriness in my eyes and could see that the woman was no more than a girl my age with very long pink hair.

"I'm so happy you're awake! How are you feeling?" she asked. I tried to talk but my voice seemed rusty and I couldn't say a word.

"It's all right, you don't have to speak. Are you feeling dizzy?" she asked. I shook my head and lay down on the white bed again, letting my skin be refreshed with the sunlight.

"Where... where... am... I?" I asked the girl. "You're at my place but they're will be time for that matter later..." she said. Her angelic voice reminded me of that pop star who was supposedly in the PLANT's.

"Are you... perhaps... That girl... who sings... in the PLANT's? Are you... Lacus Clyne?" I asked, jumping out of bed.

"Oh my goodness! You don't have to be so surprised! Yes, my name is Lacus Clyne and I am very pleased to hear you know me. Please, stay on your bed, if you will..." she asked softly. I gasped. I just remembered what had happened during my last fight.

"What... what happened to me?" I asked the sweet looking girl. "My good friend Reverend Malchio found you in his prayer garden, along with another pilot that I identified as Kira Yamato." She said. **Kira! He's...!**

"Is he alive? Is he okay?" I asked her, panicking.

"Look right over to your other side." She indicated. I looked around and saw, in the adjacent bed, Kira's body, also bandaged all over. He seemed more in pain than I was and I put my hand on my mouth: there wasn't one inch of his body that wasn't injured, not even his pinkie finger.

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"Reverend Malchio also found him in his prayer garden: he was near you. He picked you up both and brought you here, where you could be treated properly." She said.

"Yes... And miss Lacus insisted on bringing your beds outside." Sais a voice that I couldn't recognize. I looked up and saw a man, a very tall man with very dark hair. He was smiling at me and I smiled back. "I just think it's lovelier..." she mumbled.

"My name is Reverend Malchio. Miss Lacus is a good friend of mine. Yes, I brought you here because I had found you in my garden and you seemed in pain and in need of assistance." He said, his soothing voice relaxing my body. There was still another question that I couldn't answer.

"Why... why am I alive? I should have exploded along with... my Mobile suit..." I said, the pain of losing the Valliant stinging my heart. "That's because... you possess the Seed... It's a special ability that some rare Coordinators have when they pilot a Mobile suit." He said. I started to smirk and then it turned out into a good laughter.

"Why are you laughing?" Lacus asked.

"Please tell me you've got another, a _better_ explanation for my survival, Reverend. It's not possible." I said to him, lying back down on the bed.

"How come?" he asked, confused.

"I am not a Coordinator. I am a simple Natural. I cannot possess that so called 'Seed'. It must be out of luck that I survived such an explosion." I said, closing my eyes.

"I'm pretty sure my assumptions were correct, Miss." He continued. I smirked again. "Are you telling me that you deny my true nature? I just told you I'm not a Coordinator... I'm just a Natural with training... I don't move and act the same way as Kira does... I am not a Coordinator." I said, looking firmly into his eyes.

"Then won't you tell me why you're broken arms were healed in just about two days? Can you tell me why you should've died from liver failure long ago but you didn't? Can you tell me why when I found you that you were bleeding to death but your heart never stopped beating? Are those coincidences?" he asked. **He's trying something here... Why is he asking me this?**

"I always healed fast, Reverend. My livers were just about fine last time I checked and I probably had enough blood in my veins and in my system for my heart to bump it." I said back.

"Can you tell me why I couldn't find any evidence of your past or even your birth certificate on Earth?" he asked.

"I guess I should tell you my story, then. When I was about eight, ZAFT attacked my home city and killed my parents. They had the proof that I was a Natural. These documents were probably burned to ashes when they destroyed my house." I replied, starting to get annoyed.

"I am a Reverend but I also have the keys to ZAFT National archives. I couldn't find anything about you, not even your name, on Earth. You had no identification whatsoever. But when I looked here... I had found more than I expected. I have the proof, Kim Desjardins. You are not a Natural... _You are a Coordinator_. I have your records here, in my portfolio." He said, handing me the documents. **He's got to be shitting me.** I snapped the papers out of his hand and began to read. That information about my personal life was mind boggling: How did they know that at age two, I had an accident and I broke my leg and the week after, I had healed? How did they know that I had liver problems to begin with? I never gave blood so they never could have pronounced a diagnostic whatsoever. Why did I... Why did I worry about this?

"This is fake: where are my parents? It doesn't mention them anywhere!" I said, pacing through the documents. "That is because they weren't your _biological_ parents. Your true parents died in the assault of Junius Seven, about a year ago. I suppose you remember that incident, right?" he asked. **No, no... This can't be!** "You're... You're _lying_...! You are _lying_ to me! My parents didn't die in that incident and **I** am certainly most _not_ a _fucking_ **Coordinator**! I am a... Natural! I always were!"

"Then how can you explain how fast your brain works compared to normal human's? Your abilities permit you to pilot a Mobile suit, for God sakes! You understand things a Natural can't even dream of even achieving! You are superior, you always knew it. Your logic is impeccable and you were top notch in every Natural facilities or school you attempted to. You're smarter than most of the lot and quite swift to understand complex situations. You're just... you, I guess. It can't be helped."

"This... this is _not_ happening... You_ have_ to be kidding me... It's... **why**?" I said, throwing myself out of the bed, pointing my finger at the Reverend. Lacus seemed nervous and her stupid Haro was really getting on my nerves with "She's angry!" and the look that the religious man was now severe.

"You! I know you're lying! My parents wouldn't have lied to me for all of these years! Why didn't they contact me? Why was I hidden from them? Why were **my **parents lying to me? You Coordinators must've scared them into a cheap trick for their silence, isn't that right?"

"Listen, we can discuss about this quietly..." Malchio began.

"How can I be quiet when I've just learned that I'm not the person I thought I was! How can I be calm when a total stranger tells me that I'm one of my enemies? I fought Coordinators for years! I've... I've killed numerous of your kind! I've... I've..." I couldn't finish.

"Of _our _kind, Kim Desjardins. I know this is hard for you but you have to stay down for your own health... Your injuries will heal soon enough... Please rest and clear your mind for now... I don't have all the answers you're looking for." He said, patting my shoulder. I pushed it away and sat back on the bed, holding my head in my hands, confused.

"Would miss Desjardins would like something to drink?" asked Lacus, trying to comfort me.

"I don't want anything, Lacus... You've already done enough for me... I wish to be alone, if that's not too much to ask." I said to her.

"Of course not! I'll leave you. You probably need to think about... all of this." She said, disappearing from my view. I sighed heavily and lay down on my back, looking at the blue, cloudless sky.

So many questions were rumbling in my mind that I couldn't find an answer for any of them. I tried to think but the puzzle was still missing several pieces of crucial information I needed to solve the problem and find the truth. I scratched my head for a couple of minutes, trying to calm myself down but the past minutes have been too much for me to fall back asleep.

"Kim... How come..." said a weak voice beside me. I jumped on the other side of the bed and I reached to Kira, who seemed in worse shape than I was.

"Kira! You're alright! I'm so relieved!" I said, hugging his injured body. "Kim, you're hurting... me...!" he said, gasping. "I'm so sorry! I'm just so... Happy." I said, patting his hair. "Where... where are we...?" he asked, his voice cracking from all the sleeping he had. "I don't really know. I didn't ask Lacus where her place is." I said.

"Lacus... Lacus Clyne? I thought... she lived... in the PLANT's." he stated. **Oh, that's just great. I'm stuck in space with a bunch of people that I originally hated. Even I can't take care of myself, how am I supposed to protect Kira from those... Coordinators?**

"Don't worry Kira. Lacus is a nice person... I can't say the same for her friend Reverend Malchio but... that's another story. Do you remember what happened?" I asked him, curious to know about his version of the story.

"Yeah... just a bit thought... I remember I was fighting with Athrun when I saw you lunging for him behind his back. He tricked me on the ground and I saw you plant your sword into the Aegis, who was almost completely destroyed. By the way, you know you almost killed me with that hit, don't you?" he said, nudging my arm. **Good old Seth.**

"I'm sorry. I was caught up in the moment." I said, my cheeks getting pink.

"That's alright, I guess... Anyway... I remember waking up and seeing you next to me, unconscious. I tried to wake you up but I was weak and I guess I also passed out... after we had been propelled in the air... We landed in some grave or something... I can't truly remember..." he said, closing his eyes.

"Hey don't worry, you filled my blank spots. It seems you had it more roughly than I did... You're hurt all over." I said, touching his arm.

"It doesn't hurt that much. I heal very fast. Coordinators are fast healers." He said, smiling.

"So... Are you going back to sleep?" I asked him.

"Yeah... I'm tired. See you later." He said, dropping his head on the pillow, immediately falling back to sleep. The end of the day approached at a very quick pace and Lacus came back to the outside tent, to our beds to way us up. I had tried to forget this whole Coordinator thing but it couldn't escape my mind even if I really did try to forget real hard. It disturbed me to the point where I was starting to bite my nails (and I never did bite my nails, _ever_.) Kira and I slept for two or three day and we finally could eat something. He ate large bites of the food Lacus and Reverend Malchio had brought him but I didn't touch anything.

"Come on... it's ZAFT's, but it's not poison." Said Kira, grinning.

"I'm not hungry." I stated.

"You didn't have anything to eat for days! You have to eat something..." said the Reverend.

"I'm not hungry!" I screamed, pushing down the chair I was sitting on. Lacus gasped and put her hands in front of her face, scared. "You can tell me what I am but I have the authority on what I eat! If I tell you that I'm not going to eat, then respect it!"

"Kim, what the hell is happening to you?" said Kira, getting up.

"You **don't **want to know! I just don't feel like eating anything because I'll throw it all up! I am so... **angry**!" I said, punching the table. Tea cups and food spread in the air and I kicked my chair and walked away, holding my head. **What is going on with me? Why am I so angry? Why do I feel like killing anything that moves? **_**Why is this happening to me**_**? **I hurried my pace and was now running, my bare feet hugging the fresh feel of the lawn. Since they didn't give me fresh clothes, I was running in my torn pants and shirt, my hair flowing in the wind. When I reached the stairs leading to the sea, I stopped. I took a step back and I shuttered. **I'm such a monster! I am now and its clearly the case! I am not me anymore...! I don't know what to do...!**

"Kim, what is going on? You're not normal!" said Kira, who was running in my direction. He stopped and grabbed my shoulders and put on a firm grip. "I am _not_ normal! It's official now!" I said, trying to retain the tears inside. "What are you talking about?" he asked, looking straight into my eyes.

"I'm... I'm..."

"She is just like you, Kira, like us: Kim is a Coordinator." Said a voice behind Kira's body: it was the frail, pale skinned Lacus, her eyes glowing with a mysterious light.

"What...? What are you talking about?" he asked Lacus, confused.

"We found out that Kim is not an Earthling or a Natural. Reverend Malchio found out her origins in the PLANT's archives, searching for answers on why a Natural would be as talented as she is with a Mobile suit. He discovered what she is and..." Her voice cut off and she looked at the ground, unable to finish her sentence.

"Are you... sure?" asked Kira. Lacus nodded silently and he looked back at me.

"My life is over. The _Division_ won't take me back because of what I am and the Earth Forces will ban me from the military on Earth. I am bound to be a citizen of the PLANT's, Kira! I don't want to live as one of them! I don't want any of this!" I said, trying to push him away but his grip was as sturdy as my attitude.

"You know what you are, now. I would be happy if I were you, Kim: no more unanswered questions, no more doubts, no more shame. You don't have to look back at people who wouldn't understand you: you are you and that's final. It doesn't change the person you are, it just changes your status. " he said.

"I killed my own biological parents, Kira! I helped destroy Junius Seven and they were on it when the missiles hit! They're dead! Everyone is dying on me!" I said, still trying to push him away but his grip turned into a hug I couldn't escape of.

"It's not your fault." He said. Kira always knew what to say to make people feel better. He always had the right words for comfort... Just like Seth did. He knew how I felt, the rage boiling inside because he experienced it too, though he was much younger than I was when he realized it. He was mature and sensitive and I knew I could trust him, no matter what. I took a deep breath and let my body relax in his embrace. His hair tickled my forehead and I rested my head on his shoulder for the briefest moment before he let go, his face shining with the light the sunset.

"Everything is going to be just fine, Kim. We're going to be just fine." He said, rubbing my arm gently. I sighed and nodded silently, whipping the tears off of my face. I looked at Lacus, who was still looking at the ground.

"Lacus, I am sorry for my disturbing behavior. I wish for you to accept my apologies." Her gloomy expression vanished and she ran to me and gave me a sweet hug too, letting go faster than Kira did. "I am so happy you feel better! You have such a beautiful expression when you're happy, Miss Desjardins!" she said, putting her hands on her neck.

"Lacus, I think I respect you enough for you to call me by my name. No formalities between friends." I said, smiling. We heard a deep, loud noise and I flushed: I looked down at my stomach and smiled cheaply. "Maybe I am hungry, after all..." I said, looking at Lacus and Kira. "Wonderful! I'll go and reheat the food!" she exclaimed, her voice like the one of a bird chirping. She went away and Kira looked at me with a grin. "What is up with the grin, Kira Yamato?" I asked the boy. "I am happy I am not alone anymore." Was all he said.


	18. Phase 18

Days passed and Kira and I were feeling like normal again, our injuries having healed in no time. Lacus had offered me new clothes and new shoes... and also underwear and other things. She was a nice person and very easy to get along with at any period of the day. It was morning and Kira and I were out in the garden, talking. He was also offered new clothes and shoes. His injuries were almost completely healed and the bandage around his head had been removed yesterday. The breeze was soothing and I let the morning sunlight wash away my worries, again.

"I wonder... if the Archangel... made it to Alaska." I said, looking in his direction.

"I hope so too: the crew worked so hard to get through the hard times. They deserve to be in Alaska, where they can finally take a break." Said Kira, smiling. I heard footsteps behind me and I looked around: Lacus was standing behind us with a positive look on her face. "Will you two come in and have a cup of tea?" she asked. We both nodded and followed her.

The rain poured down in the next hour and throughout the rest of the morning. We were the three of us in the solarium, waiting for the storm to be over. The sky had turned grey and Reverend Malchio joined us with more tea. I had to execute myself and apologize to him about my violent reaction and he happily accepted them, two days ago.** It seems like the Coordinators here aren't so bad after all. **Kira sighed and was wearing a gloomy expression on his face. I knew he missed the Archangel and I could also feel the same way.

"Kira, where would you rather be?" asked Lacus, truthful to herself.

"I don't know." He replied, lost in thoughts.

"Do you not like this place?" she asked, trying to get out more for an answer.

"Is it okay... for me to be here?" he asked, sad. **Poor kid, he's so sad right now. He's torn between a peaceful place here, where there is no war and the Archangel, where the rest of his friends are and to fight to finally end this war.**

"As far as I'm concerned, of course it's okay!" she said, her face glowing. **Does she... have something for Kira? **This sudden thought raced through my mind as I giggled.

"What's so funny?" asked Kira, seemingly curious. "Oh, nothing." I said back to him.

"The time will come when you two will realize where you should be going... and what you should be doing. Because you people are holders of... the Seed." Said Reverend Malchio, thinking aloud. I looked at Kira and he looked at me: we could read each other's minds: it was clear we weren't done with what we started, back there...

"There is your answer." Said Lacus, holding on Mr. Pink, her pink robot. "Oh, I forgot! I asked my father if there was a shuttle for you guys to go back to Earth with. He's supposed to come here any minute to give us an answer." Said Lacus, always smiling. **Going back to Earth? Like this? Is it possible? **Several minutes later, Lacus gasped happily as she saw her father, a tall man with blue eyes and blond hair, enter the solarium.

"Lacus, honey, I'm afraid it won't be possible, not even with the Reverend's shuttle. No flights scheduled for Earth have been allowed to take off." With a loud ring, the phone of Mr. Siegel ran and he put it on speaker phone. _A call for Mr. Siegel from Ms. Eileen Canaver._

"Clyne here." He replied. _"Siegel Clyne! We have been had by Zala!" _said the woman on the other end of the line. "Canaver..." he muttered, clenching his fists. Kira and I wore a more concerned look on our faces and Lacus seemed confused and scared. _"The target of Operation Spit Break is not Panama! It's Alaska!"_ I jumped off my chair and Kira did the same: the Archangel was supposed to be in Alaska! "What!" exclaimed Lacus's father, shocked. Kira dropped his cup of tea in a state of shock, also. _"He's planning to demolish the Earth Alliance Headquarters with one single strike. Nothing of the sort was approved at the conference!" _said the woman in panic. Kira was paralyzed and Lacus was by his side, trying to wake him up from his trance.

"Kira...!" The young man was obviously struggling with the fact that his friends, his Captain and his ship were about to be destroyed. I jabbed the table with my fist and growled. "Why!" There was a long pause and the rain stopped pouring down slowly.

"If one did nothing because he tells himself that he won't make a difference... he'd end up doing even less. Then nothing would change... and nothing would end." He said.

"Even if we do something small to stop this, we'll make a big step in stopping this war." I said, looking at Lacus and Kira, this sudden fire that burned for so long in my eyes and that had disappeared had come back, burning once again.

"Will you guys be fighting against ZAFT again?" He shook our head.

"Then the Earth Forces?" she asked again. We shook our heads again.

"I feel that I have... a better understand now... about what we should be fighting against."

"It's not something the ordinary man can understand... but through experience, we did, horrible as it was: we still learned from it." I said, putting my hand on Kira's shoulder.

Lacus paused and simply replied: "Very well."

Lacus had brought us, along with Reverend Malchio, inside the house. We walked up the several flights of stairs in silence. We didn't what to expect but I, on my part, had total confidence in Lacus: she was a person of good and of peace. A servant was waiting for her in front of what seemed to be her room and was holding two platters, which held two Z.A.F.T elite uniforms. She handed us the uniforms and said:

"Please change into this, Kira, Kim." We both looked at her with the purest confused look on our faces and she turned to her servant. "Please inform them... That Lacus Clyne will sing the song of peace."

Minutes later, Lacus, Kira and I were in a luxurious car driving on the road. I looked at myself and frowned. **I never thought I'd be wearing this uniform, ever. **"You two. I'm going to show you how Coordinators and most specifically soldiers salute themselves around these parts." She said. Like a soldier, she put her hand diagonally and put it to her forehead. "You see, this is easy. You go on, you try!" she said, giggling. I looked at Kira and saluted him the formal way. He did the gesture too and we smirked: soldiers? Were we really soldiers?

Soon, the car stopped in front of a strictly forbidden of access facility. We stepped out of the car and we walked to the entrance, which was looked out for by a guard. Lacus saluted him and this one let her pass. As we entered the building, I couldn't help but notice just how much security was put in here. **What **_**is**_** this place? Are we even allowed here? **We passed several sliding doors and I followed Kira, who followed Lacus. We soon faced a door with the inscription "restricted area" on it, but it didn't seem to disturb Lacus whatsoever. We passed some soldiers and greeted them with the gesture Lacus had shown us earlier. "Good afternoon." She said to them. They bowed and continued on their way. When we reached the final door, two mechanics were waiting for Lacus and she nodded, silently instructing them to unlock the sliding door. As they did, she said to us: "Follow me." I trusted her and Kira did the same: we followed her.

It was dark in the long corridor and I had difficulty seeing where we were going. As soon as I noticed we were on a platform, I frowned. **This is surely not a restricted area for nothing. Where is she taking us?** We reached a small, metal bridge and she stepped on it, we followed. As soon as I understood where we were, I stopped. **Were... in a hangar! What the...? What are we doing here?**

Lacus stopped and looked at her left and Kira gasped. There were two Mobile suits standing right in front of us, their Phase Shift armour off. "A GUNDAM!" exclaimed Kira, amazed. "Not quite." Replied Lacus, smirking.

"This is the ZGMF X-10A Freedom. But I like GUNDAM, it sounds stronger." She said, giggling. "These two are new machines, adding state-of-the-art technology... to the abilities shown by the Mobile suits seized from the Earth Forces on Heliopolis developed under orders of the newly appointed Chairman Zala."

"But... wait... I know this machine!" I said, pointing at the Mobile standing in front of me. **This Mobile suit...seems familiar... Like I've seen it before! I remember...! Wait a second! This can't be! **

"I knew you'd recognize this Mobile suit, Kim. Yes, you're right: this is the third and final Mobile suit in the ZGMF X line. It was redesigned by ZAFT after it was stolen from your mother ship, the Star Strike. This is ZGMF X-11A Vengeance-X, or simply Vengeance, as you know it. We had the original one after it was stolen from your ship and we added new technology to it. It's like the sister-model of the Freedom, so it's similar in looks but you noticed the Aile pack is quite different: we kept the Spike Aile pack of the original and transformed it to a whole new level. You see, I thought it suited you more than the wings of the Freedom: you have the attitude to pilot this Mobile suit, no matter how badass it actually looks." She said. I looked at the yellow eyes Vengeance and smiled, remembering the times Captain DuFlamme was piloting it. **I guess you will be revived through this Mobile suit, Captain.**

"Why are you letting us pilot these machines?" asked Kira.

"I feel that the strength you will need is in those machines. Neither will alone... nor strength alone... will be enough to stop this war. That's why." I looked at Kira, whose eyes were shining with a proud gleam and I found myself to have just about the same gaze as he did.

"Will this take you, Kim and Kira, where you wish to go? Will it help you when you get there?" she asked, hopeful.

Neither will alone... nor strength alone..." Muttered Kira, looking at the Freedom.

"Who are you?" I turned to her asked the girl with pink hair and brilliant smile.

"I am Lacus Clyne... Kim Desjardins... Kira Yamato. We saluted her and Kira approached her and thanked her. I walked to her and smiled from the most honest smile I could muster.

"I am thankful... for you letting me pilot this Mobile suit. It means a lot to me." I said to her. "I am happy it will serve a more noble purpose." She said. I hugged her gently and she hugged me back.

Lacus Clyne gave us ZAFT suits and we changed. She immediately escorted Kira to the Freedom's cockpit and took his hand gently.

"Will you be alright?" he asked. "I will be singing... the song of peace. Everything is going to be fine." She said.

"Take care of yourself." She hugged him and kissed his cheek and embraced him. When my turn came, I opened the cockpit and took her hand.

"Promise me you'll sing with your heart, Lacus." She smiled and then giggled.

"I always do, Kim. Pilot _this_ with your heart." She said. I nodded and got in the cockpit and to a seat. I gasped: everything was almost like I remembered but restored to its original beauty. I started the engine and saw on the frontal screen: _Generation Unsubdued Nuclear Drive Assault Module Complex_ : Gundam. The radar screen was probably twice the size of the Valliant's and it was so detailed that my eyes couldn't look anywhere else for a second. I looked at an unfamiliar system and I frowned. **N-Jammer Canceller? Awesome! It's got at least four times the power of the Valliant! **I pressed on the "Protector" button and unlocked Phase shirt. I looked at the arm of the Vengeance and sighed: they kept the color as it was: deep, orchid purple. I pressed on the gliding lever and pressed on the gas, making my body quiver with excitement. There was an alarm in the hangar as I detached the wires connected to the Vengeance. Kira did the same with the Freedom and looked at me.

"We know where to go, right?" he asked.

"I know: we're off to Alaska!" I said. The airlocks of the hangar were above us and surely Lacus gave the orders to open them because they were wide open for us to depart. I pressed on the speed pedal and the Vengeance took off in the air as smoothly as possible, like it wasn't even an effort on the machine. Kira and I swiftly flew upwards and this sensation of hope in my stomach made me laugh: a true, genuine laugh. We were flying side by side in the conduct leading outside and I could see the light trail left by the Freedom and the Vengeance behind. As soon as we reached space, this amazement I felt exploded and I knew I'd be able to do a lot more than what I expected with this Mobile suit. **Thank you... Lacus.** We passed some GINN models and the poor things didn't even see us coming. _What are those mobile suits? _I heard through the satellite communication.

The ZAFT pilots were now shooting us and I pressed even harder on the speed pedal, making the Vengeance fly at the speed of light. The GINN shooting in front of us didn't stand a chance: I took out the Vengeance laser sword and swung it once. With one strike, the two enemy Mobile suits were gone and forgotten. From where we were in the PLANT's, we could see Earth. There was a shuttle coming our way and Kira also took out his laser sword, ready to attack.

"Kira, this one is probably full of innocent people. They won't hurt us." I said. He withdrew the weapon and said "okay". We soon passed the flying object, who seemed as slow as a slug compared to this newly redesigned Vengeance. Kira, the Freedom, the Vengeance and I were on the path of hope, once again. Next stop: Alaska, planet Earth.


	19. Phase 19

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

Hell darts crashed violently on the Archangel and the ship was brutally deviated to the right. Beams of every sort was now landing on the legged ship's body and the crew inside its control room was trying their best to stay confused on their seat and to actually not throw up.

"Starboard flight deck has been bombed!" screamed an officer in charge. They could see, on the other side of the cockpit's window, a cloud of deep grey smoke emaning from the frontal part of the ship. It was getting thicker and more importantly, getting in the crew's sight. Not far from their position, an Earth Forces ship was destroyed by a DINN flying above the battlefield.

"The Oleg has been sunk!" screamed the other officer in charge. Murrue Ramius replaced herself on her Captain seat and swept away the sweat on her forehead.

"To port! We'll fill the opening where the Oleg was!" The Archangel swiftly turned left and headed to the whole the Oleg had created in the belt of defence of the Earth Force had created, not far from Alaska's Headquarters. More beams were shot at the legged ship and Murrue exclaimed, out of frustration: "Gottfried, fire! Hit for God's sake!" The situation was getting worst by the minute and everybody on board the Archangel knew it.

"More DINN's approaching! Six of them!" screamed the first officer. "We won't be able to resist them for long with this formation!" screamed the second one, looking directly at Murrue, who, truthfully, didn't know what to order.

"Damn! Headquarters has been completely out-maneuvered!" said the Commander below the Captain's seat.

"Are the main forces all down in Panama?" asked Sai, turning around to face the man.

"Yeah, That's what it boils down to!" he replied, trying to do his best with the very little information he had.

"They _will_ be returning, **right**?" asked Miriallia, losing her concentration patience.

"Let's just say hope that they can get here before we're completely wiped out!" replied the Commander, looking at his computer screen, looking for a way out or a solution. "Incoming missiles!" screamed the officer. The Hell darts lauched at the Archangel were almost stopped by the ship's array beams but some managed to hit and shook the legged ship again. The heavy artillery of the Archangel was now put to their maximum power, vainly trying to stop the incoming missiles. Some more GINN's and DINN's were above the Earth Forces legged ship and Murrue, tired, asked herself when they would stop sending those Mobile suits at her crew like a freaking storm and pouring rain.

"Valiants one and two have been hit!" screamed the second officer. "Ship's damages are about to surpass thirty percent!" screamed the second one. **Shit! **Thought Murrue, looking back on her crew. She didn't even hear the

"Yermark and Yaroslav have been hit!" barked by the Commander below her: she was too much in thoughts and confusion. The Captain, though she was always calm and reserved was officially screwed head over heels. Her only option was to contact Headquarters... again.

"Any word from Headquarters?" she asked, her voice cracking from anxiety. "We can't get through! I've been getting the same message from every channel! It says: "_all units continue protecting the line of defence and return fire according to circumstances_!" screamed a panicked Kuzzey, his eyes full of tears: tears of genuine fear.

"The chain of command has been severed! Captain... at this rate...!" started the pilot of the Archangel but he couldn't finish his sentence: the legged ship was thrown on the left side due to an impact.

"Any reinforcement from Panama, yet?" asked Sai, also tired and sweaty. "I can't see a thing!" screamed the Commander, but was cut off by an "Incoming missiles!" Murrue was now lost for solutions as she looked outside, evaluating the situation: it was a grave hour, she concluded. From the corner of her eyes, she could see an aircraft flying alongside the Archangel: it was an Earth Forces jet plane. It was suddenly shot at and hit by a GINN, making the small aircraft's first motor to explode. Murrue looked at the small engine flying towards her and got a gasp from her entire crew: it was trying a landing on _her_ ship! She quickly grabbed the telephone and called the hangar's chief mechanic, Murdoch.

"Ground crew unit! Some dumbass in an aircraft is trying to land on board! Take shelter!" She hung up and told herself that the most important thing to do here is to reassure her crew that nothing would go wrong with this. When she heard the sliding door open, she couldn't but to frown in disbelief. "Captain!" said the voice of Commander La Flaga. His uniform was somewhat torn and multiple scratches had made an appearance on his arms.

"Commander? What the hell are you doing here? What about your new post?" she asked him. "That's not important! Right now, we need to get out of this place!" he said, bending over to face her. Everyone looked at him like he was a madman but he explained.

"This is one **screwed up** plan! What orders have the Defence Corp received?" he asked. Murrue was so surprised that all she could answer was... well, nothing. The Archangel was thrown on the right from an assault and Commander La Flaga had difficulty standing.

"Listen and listen well! A Cyclops System has been set below the Headquarters! That thing is big enough to turn everything within ten kilometers into smoking ashes!" Murrue gasped and had to restrain herself from screaming like a scared child. The crew had stopped all activities and listened to La Flaga. "It's impossible to defend the base with these forces. Reinforcements from Panama _will not_ come in time! Soon, the Defence Corp will be annihilated, the main gate will be broken and Headquarters will activate the Cyclops System _to blow up the base_!" Murrue couldn't do anything else but to stare at the man.

"The plan is to take out the better part of ZAFT's fighting strength! That's the scenario written by those high-ranking authorities!" Everyone's eyes widen and Murrue put a hand on her mouth to stop herself from making a sound.

The Archangel was stricken again and it shook the entire ship like a kid would kick a doll. Commander La Flaga took the Captain's seat as something to hold on to and Murrue almost fell down and fell out of her chair.

"This can't be!" she said, her voice full of confusion and hatred. "I saw it with my own eyes. There's not _one single_ officer in Headquarters! The only ones remaining to fight are the troops of Eurasia and ships like the Archangel that the hot shots had given up upon!" What was happening was Murrue's worst fear: people plotting her crew and her ship death's behind her back.

"So they left us to _die_ here? Is that it?" asked the officer.

"Only after a desperate battle, so the enemy doesn't realize they retreated." Kuzzey, scared shitless now, sprung off his chair and gasp, his fear obviously showing now. The look in the eyes of every member of the crew was now the same: the eye of the tiger, the survival look.

"How-How can you call this a plan?" said Miriallia. "Because this is war... because we're soldiers so if we're told to, we must throw away our lives?" she continued, tears escaping her eyes. This angered Murrue more than anything else angered her in her whole life: sacrificing the children's lives to save one puny little country... It wasn't worth it. For once in her life, the Captain spoke what she really felt.

"If the objective of this battle is to lure ZAFT Forces closer, then in my opinion, this ship has already accomplished its mission! Note that I, Murrue Ramius, Captain of the Archangel made this decision and therefore no other crewmember is in any way responsible." She slowly got up and continued. "This ship will now abandon the battleground and retreat! Send a message to all of the other Alliance ships to follow us! Engines full speed! To port! We'll fly past the left wing of the harbor!"

Commander La Flaga understood her nerve wracked condition and was honest with her. "This escape won't be easy, but don't give up. I'm taking off now too." She gave him a worried look but he smiled back to her. "Don't worry! Have you forgotten? I'm the man who makes the impossible possible." He said, grinning. He went away and the escape began.

Several shots hit the Archangel but this one was holding on, though its damages were important. Suddenly, the officer screamed:

"The Duel approaching from behind!" We could hear the crew's overall anxiety through their breathing as the anticipated the Duel, piloted by Yzak Joule. **Why today of all times?** Thought Murrue, already stressed out from the events. "Port 20, go around!" she screamed and the pilot executed her will. "A group of Mobile suits at ten o'clock!" said the first officer.

"Rurik is immobile! Rollo's been sunk!" The tremors on board were now over violent and the crew really began to panic, Miriallia screaming out of fear. "Block 64 through 72 have been closed...! Ship's operations down to forty-three percent!" said Sai, almost throwing the towel.

"_We're_ **finished**!" The Captain had enough of this panic situation and knew she had to give the example. "Wombats! Fire! Increase engines to maximum! Get away from this!" she said directly at her pilot. "Propulsion decreasing! The ship can no longer maintain balance!" said the pilot, trying his best to stabilize the legged ship. It took one second of inattention and when Murrue turned around to look in the cockpit's window, she saw something that would destroy every single drop of her hope, something that would kill them all: she saw a GINN, armed with a laser sword, swinging it in their direction. It was over. She put her arms before her face and let heaven come.

(...)

A green positron been destroyed the weapon held by the GINN and I looked down at the Freedom. I had told Kira to get in front of me to protect the Archangel and it's a good thing we arrived at Alaska this second. Kira took out the Freedom's laser sword and cut in half the green GINN, making the machine explode in a pink cloud of smoke. I followed and looked around to conclude that this was one horrible battlefield: smoke everywhere and bodies of machines and humans floating in the sea. The Vengeance had stopped and was now hovering in front of the Archangel, alongside the Freedom and Kira. We were determined to protect this ship no matter what.

"This is Kira Yamato and Kim Desjardins! We're here to help you! Please get the Archangel out of here!" said Kira through the established communication.

"Kira, take care of the GINN's. I will look after the Archangel." I said to him. He accepted and flew higher in the air, wanting the rest of the enemies to follow him: they did, as expected. **He is a holder of the SEED... He was made to pilot the Freedom. I am not scared anymore.** I turned around to face the Archangel's cockpit and evaluated the damage done on the ship: quite frankly, it was in a rough shape. I could see on my monitor several red dots approaching my position and since the Vengeance let me take aim at every single one of them, I position myself and took out my plasma beam cannons and shot the fatal beam. Several beams escaped the mouth of my guns and landed a perfect hit on every one of my target.

"Hurry it up, will you, Murrue? Get out of here!" I said back to her.

"_ZAFT, Earth Alliance! I call upon both Forces! Any moment now the Cyclops System will activate in the Alaska base will self-destruct! I ask that both Forces cease battle at once and retreat from this area!"_ said Kira through satellite communication.

"I'm not falling for that!" I heard. I turned around and saw the Duel lunging at me with a sword. **Yzak!** His sword was easily evaded as the Vengeance back flipped its way out. I grabbed my sword and destroyed his flying platform, making it explode into a cloud of smoke.

"Who are you, pilot? What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, shooting beams at me with his rifle gun. Evading was now easier with the Vengeance because of that special gliding system it had been implanted on. He threw in some punches but my Mobile suit was undeniably faster than his.

"My name... is Kim Desjardins and I am the pilot of the Vengeance!" I said, pushing the Duel away. He kept coming on me, not saying one word. "Do you want to die? My friend told you to stop! Don't make me do this!" I said, punching the Duel in the face.

"This can't be you! You can't be Kim Desjardins! She died along with that Kira kid! I saw it with my own eyes!" he said, not budging. "I didn't die... It was a close shot but I didn't. I am here now and fighting this war so the god damn fighting can stop! I do this for every living soul in the universe, so why are you stopping me?" I asked, pushing the Duel farther behind.

"You're dead... You can't be alive... Athrun... made you explode!" He said, swinging his sword, aiming at my cockpit.

"I didn't die! I am right here! I am so sorry about everything I've done to you, Yzak! I am really am, you must believe me! Now go before I have to be sorry again." I said to him, trying to keep him away from my face.

"Never! I hate you Naturals! I'll die killing you if that's what it comes to!" he said, aiming his shoulder gun at me. The hit was evaded but I had enough of this nonsense: I took out my laser sword and swung it near the Duel's cockpit, cutting its legs off.

"Yzak, this is not a joke! Get back to your ship and never come back here! I love you enough to say goodbye, so take your best shot and go!" I said, kicking the Duel's body downwards. I saw a GINN grab him in flight and he was escorted back, far in the distance.

Kira approached and pat the Vengeance's shoulder. "You did the right thing." He said to me. I didn't have time to rejoice: the ground shook with such violence that even in the air we could feel the tremor. **Oh no! It has started! **

"Archangel! The Cyclops system was activated! Get out of here!" I said to Murrue through communication. The Archangel thrust was now put to maximum and we followed behind, Kira and I. Even the Vengeance was affected by the sudden flux of energy released not very far from where I was. My radars weren't working and I had to put the Vengeance to maximum speed also. Minutes later, the impact had stopped and the damaged Archangel had stopped on a nearby island for its crew members to breathe a little. Kira and I landed our Mobile suits nearby and I noticed he was transporting a GINN unit with him. "Kira, what the hell are you thinking?" I asked. "He's injured! We must help him!" he said. We got out of our Mobile suits and Kira tended to the man piloting it while I ran to rejoin with. When I got there, the man had already died in Kira's arms.

"It's over... He's passed..." said Kira, lying the man on his back.

"You did what you thought was best for the man. You brought him to a peaceful place where he can rest forever." I said, patting Kira's shoulder.

"Let's go back to the Archangel." He simply said.

We walked alongside and took our breath from this battle. I looked above and saw the Vengeance towering about twenty meters above me. I couldn't believe this machine was mine: I had dreamed of piloting for years and now my dream came true. "Kim, look! It's the crew." He said, pointing in front of us. Murrue Ramius was followed by Commander La Flaga and our friends Miriallia, Sai and Kuzzey. "Kira!" "Kim!" When we were face to face with Murrue and Mu, all I could think of was that these people were the bravest.

"I'm glad we made it in time." Said Kira to Murrue and Mu.

"You guys were in a pretty rough spot, weren't you?" I asked, smiling.

"You're really Kira and... Kim?" asked Murrue, her eyes as big as gold balls.

"Yes." We said in unison. What happened next shocked me: all of them, all of the crew members, including Murrue Ramius ran to us and hugged us with tears on their eyes.

"How the hell...!"

"You're not some ghosts, are you guys?" Asked the first officer, touching my arm.

"I bet there is a ton of things you want to ask us, right?" I asked, smiling at Murrue Ramius. "Yes." She answered. "There are many things I'd like to ask you as well." I said to her. "I'm sure there is." She answered.

"Were you guys with ZAFT?" asked Commander La Flaga.

"Yes, but we do not fight or ever will fight alongside them." Kira said. "And we are no longer with the Earth Forces either." I completed. We earned a couple of confused looks and the Captain replied: "I understand. Let's talk things over first. Now, what do we do about these machines?" she asked, pointing at the Freedom and the Vengeance.

"If you mean maintenance and resupply... there's no need for that right now." Said Kira.

"How come...?" started La Flaga.

"These are equipped with a Neutron Jammer Canceller." I replied. "Neutron Jammer what?" he said, confused.

"It means the Freedom and the Vengeance are fuelled with nuclear energy." I said, looking at Mu La Flaga. "Then where did you get it from?" he asked, curious. "If you're asking for data on it, we'll have to decline." Said Kira.

"And if you attempt to take it, we'll protect them from you, even if we must fight you to do so." I said, trying to give them a gentle warning. Captain Ramius and Commander La Flaga frowned but that angry look quickly vanished to be replaced with a gaze of understanding.

"It's our responsibility: we were both entrusted with them." Kira concluded.

"Very well. You have my word that we won't touch these machines. Is that clear?" she asked, obviously pointing the question at the mechanic crew. "Thank you very much." After a much needed break, Kira and I embarked the Freedom and the Vengeance aboard the Archangel and we took of once again, aiming our quest at fate.


	20. Phase 20

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

I was the last to come in the hangar. The Vengeance was placed right beside the Freedom but Kira was the one who got off first. The Skygrasper was also there, in repairs, though. There were many questions I wanted to ask to the Captain but it seemed that Kira had already started the investigation. I disembarked from the Vengeance and rejoined with the crew, in the control room.

"... So that was the plan?" asked Kira, speaking to Commander La Flaga and Captain Ramius.

"Likely."

"That is strange... I've never thought they would actually... Hey, look! She's coming! Kim, over here! I've been waiting for you!" said Kira, waving his hand at me. I jogged to the small group of people and stood next to Kira and Commander La Flaga. Captain Ramius explained the situation to me and I frowned. **Why the fuck would they do such a thing? What was the true meaning of this nonsense? **"And we weren't told a thing about this." Said the Captain, apparently upset.

"Headquarters had probably been aware that ZAFT's target was Alaska for some time. Otherwise they wouldn't have activated the Cyclops System under the base." I looked at Kira and we both knew that the PLANT's had something to do with it.

"It's the same thing with the PLANT's. So what does the Archangel... what do you all plan on doing from here on?" asked Kira, crossing his arms. "Our plans?" asked the Captain, taken aback by the sudden question: the most obvious question that the crew would all ask themselves. "Due to the N-Jammer and the magnetic fields, we haven't been able to establish communication at all." Said the first officer.

"So we do damage control here and make it to Panama on our own?" wondered out loud the pilot of the Archangel.

"And you actually think they'll welcome us with open arms? We know way too much for our own good..." said La Flaga, biting his lower lip. "I guess they'll treat a ship that has left the front line without orders... as a deserter." Said Murrue, lowering her shoulders and rubbing her temples.

"Even if we were to return to our initials posts, we would, without a doubt, face court-martial and this would be another crime added to our record." Said the officer, worry in his face.

"What do you believe one should be fighting against to put an end to all of this, Miss Murrue?" asked Kira, still absorbed in his thoughts. "Whatever it is... I think it's about time we should fight against it." Continued Kira, looking straight at her. The Captain and the other commanders and officers needed to do a meeting so they dismissed us and I went away, leaving Kira to talk with his friends. I took the elevator and descended to the dorms level. I walked to my room and opened the sliding door. The first thing I noticed was the medium sized box on my bed with a note inscribed on it. I took the note and began to read:

_If you're ever alive and reach this letter, (because I have a feeling that your heart is still beating) I want to tell you that I am truly sorry for what happened with your best friend... I hope that someday, you will finally forgive me for what I've done to you. I pray so we can see each other so I don't have to leave you with this miserable piece of paper._

_P.S: Take care of Kira._

_Flay Allster_

**What's the meaning of this? Is she... apologizing? Where is she anyway? Why can't she tell me this to my face?** I opened the box beside be and found the rest of Seth's belongings in it, which immediately brought tears to my eyes. His spare uniform was there along with a spear Mobile suit combination he used to wear while fighting with the Outpacer. He also left his military ID tag pendant he received on his first day at the Division academy. I grabbed the pendant and put it in my pocket and put the box under my bed, where it could stay as long as I wanted. I got out of the room after a long and well-deserved shower and walked to the elevator and descended to the hangar level. I spent the rest of the day helping the mechanics with repairs on the Skygrasper and some adjustments on the OS of the Vengeance. This machine was much more complex than the Valliant used to be: there were all new programs and systems I had to adjust myself with to be the most efficient as possible. I heard footsteps in the hangar and I looked outside the cockpit to see Kira with Birdie on his shoulder.

"I knew I would eventually find you here." He said, approaching the Vengeance. I got out and marched the steps of the metal bridge down and rejoined with him. "I guess you're beginning to read me better, Kira." I sat on the stairs and he did too.

"Don't you get a feeling of déjà vu when you're sitting here?" he asked, looking at me.

"I don't really know... I don't like to think about it." There was a long silence before I decided to ask him a question I longed to have the answer for.

"Where are we heading now, Kira?"

"The Captain said that we should be arriving in Orb territory soon." He said, smiling.

"We're going to Orb?" I exclaimed, jumping out of place. "Yeah, relax." He said. I sat down again and rubbed my tired eyes. The truth was that I didn't necessarily want to go to Orb: I would have to face the _Division_ again and... Cagalli. **She probably knows by now how much of an idiot I was and the stupid mistake I made... After all, she has about 99% of all the information communicated in Orb and the **_**Division**_** is situated within her country's borders. She's going to hate me so much...**

"You seem rather upset, Kim. What's on your mind?" asked Kira, petting Birdie.

"It's just... I'm a traitor, Kira. I belonged to the _Division_. We're going in Orb's territory, meaning the Division's territory as well: they'll treat me as a deserter to my nation and I will be severely punished. I know I have done some pretty bad things but this... I've never wanted to put my friend in a critical situation... Cagalli will be so mad at me and she'll hate me forever. She must know by now what I've done to the Archangel when we last were in Orb." I said, letting my hair loose, out of its usual ponytail.

"I'm sure she'll understand. After all, Cagalli is a big-hearted person behind her sometimes cold attitude. You made a mistake: everybody makes mistakes, even the bravest and the strongest of us. You're human; you're allowed to make mistakes from time to time." He said, patting my shoulder. **He reminds me of... Seth.**

"Kira, I've wanted to give this to you. I found it in Seth's personal belongings and I would like you to have it." I said, getting the dog tag out of my pocket and handed it to him. He immediately refused. "I can't accept this, Kim. It was Seth's. It doesn't belong to me." He said, pushing it away. I handed it back to him and he looked at me, confused. "Why do you want to give this to me? He was your best friend!" He said. "He was, you're right. But you somehow managed to make him live again, Kira. He lives through you, I think. He lives through your determination and love. He was actually pretty much like you, to tell you the truth. That's why I want you to have this: no one in the world can make him feel alive more than you can." I said, closing my eyes and rested my head on my knees. He opened the locket and attached the ID pendant to his neck and smiled.

"I'm glad I can have a small part of this special place he had in your heart. He was a lucky man to have met you, Kim Desjardins, as I am a lucky man by making him continue to live with you." I sighed and hugged him for a long time: I needed his support and comfort and he seemed to need mine too. It was soon time to go to sleep and we walked together to the dorms and went to sleep.

Two weeks of travelling had passed and when I woke up on the thirteenth day, the Archangel was moving into Orb's territory hangars. I quickly dressed and exited my room. I found Kira in the corridor, along the way and we walked together. "So... we're in Orb." I started worrying. "Yes, but don't worry. The Captain will be talking for you, Kim. Everything will be just fine." We heard footsteps in the adjacent corridor, like someone was running in our direction. Kira turned around and let me walk alone for ten steps when I heard a woman screech:

"Kira!" in the main corridor. I turned around and saw indeed a woman, on top of Kira, crying.

"You damn fool!" she was now crying, her blond hair plastered against her oval face. Her brown, expressive eyes, full of tears, were glaring at Kira.

"Why... you! I thought you were dead, you jerk!" she exclaimed, sobbing. Kira apologized but she immediately cut him off.

"You're really alive?" she asked, dumbfounded. "I'm alive: I've returned, along with Kim." He said. Her eyes widen and she looked up, her eyes meeting mine. I walked to the two of them and swallowed hard: every muscle in my body was tangled in a tight knot. She slowly got up, her knees trembling. I looked at her and gave a cheap smile. "It's been a while, Cagalli."

The tears in her eyes accentuated and her mouth curled into an angry expression. She snapped and ran to me, her hands in the air. The girl ran faster than I expected and I didn't have time to react. Her body was getting closer to mine as I expected the worst beating of my life coming from that burned head of hers. I gasped as her arms wrapped around mine, making moving away impossible. Her sobs were now hysterical ones as she cried against my neck.

_"I thought you died!_ I thought you died and I didn't have information on you... I... I..." I also wrapped my arms around her, relieved that she wasn't bearing a grudge against me.

"I am here. I am here." I said to her, not knowing what else to say.

We walked to the hangar and Cagalli seemed rather happier than a few minutes ago. She explained that a man named Athrun told her that Kira had died and I realized that it was the same Athrun Zala, who had tried to kill my friend, on that day. "When went to search for you but we found him instead." She said, obviously talking to Kira.

"He was devastated... He was crying, saying that he had killed you... both." She said, including me in her story. "In that battle, I killed his friend... and then he killed Tolle. There was no way around it." said Kira, trying to hide the slightest sign of emotion. "For me and I'm sure for Athrun as well."

"You've been friends since you guys were little, right?" she asked to Kira. "As long as I can remember, Athrun has been a strong in character and helped me on numerous occasions." **So they've been friends since they were little... That unexpected... I guess there's no way else around with Kira.**

"What made you remain on the Earth Forces side even after knowing that you had to fight him?" she asked. Kira seemed surprised by this question and she immediately tried to reformulate her question. "Well, you're a Coordinator, after all... so it seemed foolish to stay knowing you'd fight your friend." Kira thought and replied: "I thought... If I didn't, everyone would die. I am a Coordinator, after all. The truth is... the honest truth is... I guess I never thought it could possibly happen that I would kill Athrun or that Athrun would kill me."

Cagalli looked at me and opened her mouth but I guess she didn't know where to start. "I... Kim... I'm not sure how to say this... or ask, for that matter..." she said. "You can ask me anything." I said to her. "Where is Seth? I thought he'd be here, with us." She said, already knowing the answer. It took me a minute to formulate the fatal sentence. I took a deep breath, trying not to cry.

"He... He died, Cagalli. One of Athrun's friends killed him." Her eyes closed shut as she tried not to cry. "Cagalli. He now lives in a world a peace. I was sad and angry when he died and I didn't understand myself why he had departed. He died for me, for all of us. He died knowing he would have changed something in my heart. When I finally understood that he didn't die in vain, I was finally able to forgive myself for letting this happen and to go on with my life: I'm sure that's what he wanted, for me, for Kira, for you. He had a sneak peak of our lives after this war and thought that protecting this hopeful future would give him the true happiness. That's why I'm not sad anymore: I am grateful and forever in his debt."

She wiped the tears off her face and looked at me again. "I have another question." She stated. "Shoot." I said. "How come _you're_... **alive**? I mean... I understand Kira and Athrun... but _you_! You defy nature itself! You should be _dead_!" she said. I nodded and smile.

"You're wrong. I didn't defy nature that day... _My_ nature protected me from death."

"I am afraid I don't understand." She said, confused.

"When the Aegis exploded and made the Valliant self-destruct that day... I was able to survive because of what I am. I thought... all of these years... that I knew what I was. I was wrong. I was found near Kira. I had multiple injuries and fatal diseases I had no idea I had but I didn't die. My genetics permitted me to go on." I said.

"Would you be more explicit?" She asked, her thoughts swirling in her head.

"That man that had saved us gave me some documents, Cagalli. It was no wonder I could never find anything that mentioned my name on Earth. Not even a birth certificate. That's because everything I was looking for wasn't on Earth, but in space: in the PLANT's. Yes, I see you understand. I'm not the Natural I thought I was. I am like Kira: a Coordinator."

She put her hands on her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. Her knees were shaking and her hands were trembling against her face. "Not serious!" she said, her voice cracking in fear.

"I am. Cagalli, don't look at me like I'm a monster. Why do you look at me that way now and don't have that alienated look when you glance at Kira?" I asked, a bit angry. "I always knew Kira was a Coordinator, Kim! You're taking me by surprise!" she said, defending her point. "... So you won't like me anymore because I'm an alien of some sort? Because I was genetically enhanced before my birth?" I asked, taking a step back.

"Kim! I love you! You're one of my closest friends! It's just like learning your sister, whom you thought was a prestigious doctor, was a stripper and a drug addict!" she said, screaming.

"That's not a good comparison!" I said back to her.

"You're right. That was insulting, Cagalli." Said Kira.

"I'm sorry... You know what I mean here... It's just... a little hard to swallow right now. I mean... I just don't really know what to think about it: it's so sudden and shocking at the same time..." I looked at her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm just the same, Cagalli. I'm the 'old me' even though you think I am an entirely different person. I'm feeling everything like before but I don't have to question myself anymore about my abilities. It's almost like... a relief to know that I'm a Coordinator: people won't look at me like I'm a circus freak anymore. Anyway, only you, Kira and Lacus Clyne know who I am, it's not like I'm ready to tell the world either. I'll just wait it off." I said, smiling at her. She nodded and hugged me. **I'm glad she understands.**

"So... what are these new machines?" she said, pointing at the Freedom and Vengeance.

"I am sorry, Cagalli. We can't talk to you about these Mobile suits. We promised we wouldn't. Don't take it personally." Said Kira, looking at the Freedom. "You guys are full of mysteries... I am afraid today is maybe not the best day to solve them... Let's get outside; my father is waiting for us." She said, escorting us outside the Archangel.

**(...)**

_**During a meeting with Chief Representative Uzumi Yula Atha**_

The Representative sat behind the big mahogany desk that was placed in the middle of the room and Captain Murrue Ramius, Commander La Flaga, Kira, Cagalli and I were standing in front of the most important and influent man of Orb, which happened to be Cagalli's father. Murrue explained what happened to the Headquarters of the Alliance at Alaska and Lord Uzumi didn't seem much surprised about the Earth Forces move.

"A Cyclops System? But even if information on the enemy had been leaked... going through with such a plan seems rather extreme." Said Lord Uzumi, thinking aloud carefully.

"However, it is undeniable that it took out eighty percent of ZAFT's attacking forces. For the military strategists, it's nothing but numbers on paper with an added bonus of sacrificing only the unwanted. And this is the result..." continued Lord Uzumi, opening the television and putting it on the national news.

"_Our defense forces fought courageously right down to the last soldier. This day, marked by the collapse of JOSH-A as well as the sorrow associated with it will be remembered as a day of infamy. However, we will not submit to their ways! What right do the Coordinators have to take away this peaceful land, these safe skies that make up our home? The sacrifice is immense. However, we must overcome this and face our enemies! We must combine our strengths and fight against the arrogant Coordinators in order to protect Earth's safety, peace and future!" _screamed an angry Earth Forces political leader. The news channel also has shown some footage of various manifestations against the Coordinators and genes-modified people.

"I can understand what's happened but it's sure hard to swallow. The Atlantic Federation... has been putting pressure on the neutral nations. They're being told that any nation refusing to join the Alliance Forces... will be declared as an enemy. Of course, Orb, our nation, is no exception." Continued the Representative. Cagalli frowned severely.

"They just want Orb's power!" she exclaimed, clenching her fists.

"As I'm sure you're aware... our nation does not refuse entry to Coordinators. We are one of the few nations that will allow anyone to enter and reside in the country as long as their honor the ideas and laws of our nation. We should not be judged by whether or not our genes have been modified. The only thing accomplished by labeling people as 'Naturals' or 'Coordinators' is to produce friction and conflict between people." He looked at Cagalli, Kira and I and smiled.

"Cagalli and Kim are Naturals... and Kira is a Coordinator." I looked at Kira who gave me a cheap smile and gave the same smile to Cagalli, who was still frowning and flushing.

"These are facts that they themselves have no control over." He said, closing his eyes, sighing.

"You're absolutely right about this, sir." Said Kira, looking at Cagalli and I.

"I cannot agree with the ways of the Atlantic Federation to label every Coordinator as a monster and an enemy and to attack every one of them without justification or proof that they have done something wrong, personally. I mean, who's really fighting who and for what reason?" the Representative asked, obviously without answer.

"However... although I understand your points... excuse me for saying it like this but isn't your position just a bit too ideal? It may be ideal but Coordinators will continue to look down on Naturals and Naturals will continue to be jealous of Coordinators. That's the reality!" said Commander La Flaga, trying not to vex Lord Uzumi.

"I realize that. Needless to say it's not as if our nation has no problems of its own." Said the Representative, getting up from his chair. "But if we give up on trying to improve things, in the end we'll have no option but to eliminate one another. At that point, it would be too late to do anything but reflect and regret. But _you_ suggest that we should just shut up and let this happen because that's simply the way of the world? It's up to you what you wish to do with the rest of your lives. If you have problems betraying the uniform you're wearing... I'll take the appropriate steps to allow you to remain in it. You're young and have valuable skills. Make sure your decision is one you can live with. Make sure you choose the future that you truly desire. There's still time." Kira frowned and asked, Murrue giving him a silent warning, but he didn't listen.

"How do you view this, Lord Uzumi?" The Chief Representative turned around to face the teen and smirked.

"I believe we're no longer in a position where out swords can be simply for display." He said, taking a sip of his glass of water.


	21. Phase 21

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

The awkward silence was broken by Representative Uzumi Yula Atha's right hand and bodyguard, Ledonir Kisaka. "We've received word that ZAFT are attacking Panama!" he said, his breath labored from the running.

"What did you say? _Panama_?" screamed Murrue Ramius, her body sprung from her chair.

"They've been under attack since dawn. I've yet to receive details." Ledonir said, looking straight at his master, Lord Uzumi.

"Because of its Mass Driver!" exclaimed Mu La Flaga, who was hit with genius.

"The core of the Earth Forces is now Panama. ZAFT must be desperate. I'm sure this leaves you with mixed feelings..." I looked at Kira and Cagalli and we three nodded: it was time we returned to the Archangel and prepare ourselves for battle.

I rushed to my room and changed into my Mobile suit combat combination just in case we were sent out and fight ZAFT again. I was on my way to the hangar to rejoin with Kira when I bumped into Captain Ramius. "Oh, I'm sorry Captain. I was in a hurry." I said.

"That's alright. Listen, can I have a word with you?" she asked. "Of course, you can talk to me whenever you feel like it." I said.

"I know how you feel about being on this ship, which belongs to the Earth Forces. I just wanted to know... You remember when I told you that a crew sticks together? Well, now is the right time to ask you this: aren't you scared of fighting all alone again?" she asked, worry apparent in her face and in her eyes. I smiled and shook my head.

"I am not scared anymore. I am not alone either, Captain Ramius: I have Kira Yamato and I got Seth in my heart. I also have you and the crew... I am not alone anymore." I said.

"You know you don't have to take all of the responsibility... I know you desperately want to protect Kira... I overheard your conversation with him concerning your... friend, Seth. I heard you believed he lived in Kira now. You don't have to take all of it, Kim. Leave some to me and to the others. Maybe this situation is too much for a Natural to overcome with only a couple of friends." She said, rubbing my shoulder affectionately.

"Captain, I have to do this no matter what: I was entrusted with the most powerful Mobile suit there is in existence. I... I should've told you earlier... I guess I couldn't find the courage to... You have to listen and to believe me. When I was in the PLANTs with Kira, some man I can now trust handed me documents that defined my true nature. I am not the Natural I thought I was, Murrue. I am a Coordinator like Kira and with what I know now; I am able to do this." I said. Murrue's body paralyzed as her hand, which was on my shoulder, fell right back on her body's side.

"You're... a Coordinator?" she asked, dumbfounded. I nodded and had to leave her there before she would harass me with questions I didn't have the answers to. I ran to the elevator and pressed on the hangar level button. When the doors opened, I ran out, in the direction where Kira and Mu La Flaga were talking.

"You intend to fight, even though you're alone?" he asked to Kira.

"I'll just do what I can: that's all I can hope for. Anyway, I'm not alone anymore: I have Kim with me now. I don't like things as they are now but I don't think anything will be solved like this, like doing nothing. I walked to the two of them and Mu smiled.

"Look what the cat brought in! I see you're... ready to fight." He said, examining my combination.

"I am, more than ever." I replied, looking at Kira. "Kira! Kim!" said a voice behind us. Cagalli, dressed in her official uniform as well, was running towards us, her short, blond hair flowing behind her. "Erica Simmons wants to see you both."** Who's Erica Simmons?** "She says there's something she wants to show you guys." She continued, breathing hard.

(...)

Cagalli's car had stopped before an enormous facility. "There! We're here! I hope you guys will enjoy the show: this is where we develop our new models. I am sure you guys will enjoy this." Said Cagalli, bringing us inside the top secret building. She showed her ID to the security guard and he let us three enter the facility. **Like a charm with Cagalli...** Mu La Flaga and Murrue Ramius were in the car behind us and were following us from a certain distance. Kira and I looked at each other and smiled: where was she taking us? There was a woman waiting at the sliding doors inscribed with "Restricted are: Employees only".

"Ms. Simmons! I am back with your request!" said Cagalli, who seemed overexcited. She looked at Kira and then looked at me.

"And who might you be, young lady?" she asked me. I offered my hand and presented myself.

"My name is Kim Desjardins, Ms. Simmons. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said. We both shook hands and exchanged smiles.

"Now, let's get to business. Kira, I would like you to have something." She said. She entered the code and the sliding doors opened.

"I thought I should return this to you, now that you've come back." She said, pointing at a Mobile suit Kira recognized right away. **The Strike! They've reassembled it!** "After repairing it, I installed the OS that you created for us... I figured that now that you pilot another machine, someone else would be piloting it this time." She said.

"The one designed for Naturals?" asked Commander La Flaga, obviously interested. "Yes." The woman replied.

"I'll pilot it!" said Cagalli, overenthusiastic. "Oh, if it's okay with you, that is." She continued, looking at Murrue and Kira.

_"No, you can't!"_ said Mu with a stern voice. The poor Cagalli was shocked but adopted a frown on her face. "And why the hell not?" she exclaimed, pointing at Mu. "Because... I'll be the one piloting it." He said, his eyes burning with a passion and his mouth curled in a proud smile. "What?" said Cagalli, disappointed.

"**Commander**?" exclaimed Murrue Ramius, confused.

"That title does no longer apply, now does it, Miss Murrue?" he said, winking at her, earning a blush from the Captain.

Commander La Flaga quickly embarked the newly designed Strike and I saw from the corner of my eyes the Freedom taking a step in the circular arena. "I can't help thinking it's still too soon for you to be sparring with me." Said Kira through established communication to Mu. Kira took out a laser blade and faced the Strike. The Strike made the same action and Mu replied: "Quiet! Don't tell me what to do! Here I go, kiddo!" Mu lunged the Strike towards Kira and swung his sword to the Freedom. Kira, more experienced than Mu, blocked easily and the sparring between the two men began. I couldn't help but to think: "That man is going to end up killed by Kira... Bad move, Mu."

(...)

"Hey, they want all crewmembers together!" Screamed a voice throughout the Archangel. I had helped with the Skygrasper and the Vengeance's adjustments all day long and I was finally able to get out of the cockpit of my Mobile suit. I looked at the metal bridge linking the hangar's levels together and saw Murrue waling alongside La Flaga and Cagalli. The Captain was wearing a stern look on her face, along with Mu and Cagalli. **Something's up. Better go get Kira.** Minutes later, we were all lined up together in the lowest level of the hangar and Murrue, standing in front of her people was ready to make the heart clenching announcement. I stood besides Kira and he looked at me, worried. "What's happening? Is the Alliance signing a truce with Orb?" Kira said he'd hope so and Murrue started talking, her voice cracking up with anxiety.

"An Earth Alliance Forces fleet is on its way here to Orb." I gasped, along with Kira and the rest of the crew. This was the worst-case scenario happening: these bastards are ready to open fire at us!

"The reason given is unless Orb joins forces with the Earth Alliance and fights against the ... they will consider Orb a supporter of ZAFT." She continued. A huge noise emanated from the mass of people Kira and I was in and let's just say people were happy. "That's crazy!" screamed an officer. "Like they could ever do that!" screamed another. **I don't like to say it like this... but we're deeply screwed right now.**

"The Orb government continues to stress its position as a neutral nation and is calling out for diplomatic cooperation as we speak. But unfortunately, judging from the latest reaction of the Earth Forces... we must say chances of avoiding battles are extremely low. Orb has given orders to its citizens to evacuate the cities and areas close to military facilities. They are readying their defensive positions to prepare for the worst. Each of us must also make a decision on what we wish to do. Currently, the Archangel is a runaway ship in a situation where it cannot even establish its own position. There is no longer anyone with the authority to give orders on what we should be doing amidst this situation with Orb. For one... I do not have such authority over you. The attack will commence at 9:00 am tomorrow. You make your decision until then." She finished, dismissing us and going away, probably in the control room.

I walked to the elevator and got out at the dorms level. I was about to enter my room as I saw people packing their stuff and exiting with their luggage: among them was Kira's friend, Kuzzey. He was talking to Kira's other friend, Sai, about his decision to leave the Archangel. I sighed and decided to go in my room and take a long shower. **I wonder when all of this shit is going to stop... I would like to talk to people without bringing the war in the conversation... I would like to buy a house and to live a peaceful like... I would like to find a real job and find someone I could spend my life with... I wonder if... Yzak will ever talk to me again...**

I got out of the shower and put on some loose shirt and pants and laid down on my bump bed, deep into thinking. I closed my eyes and fell asleep pretty soon. That nap was very refreshing and mostly much needed. When I woke up, it was almost night. The sun was setting down and the crew was preparing to go to sleep. I stepped outside my room and decided I would go and talk to Murrue, since she was the only one probably awake. I stepped into the elevator and elevated to the control room floor. I got out and slowly walked to the sliding doors of the cockpit. When they opened, I saw the Captain with Commander La Flaga, deeply embraced, kissing. They immediately broke the kiss when they felt my presence.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I'm going back, you should...!" Mu LaFlaga quickly passed me and went away, closing the sliding doors, leaving only Murrue and I in the room.

"Captain, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to..."

"That's just fine... Don't worry, Kim." She said, her blush fainting by the second. I approached her seat and set next to her. "I didn't know you were involved with Commander La Flaga." I stated.

"Well, me neither. The kiss... it just happened." I smirked and giggled. "That was not just a kiss. If I didn't come in, you guys would have..." She frowned and snapped. "You shouldn't say this like that! I am not allowed to have any personal business on board! I shouldn't have let this happen... I'm stupid." She concluded, slapping her forehead.

"You're not stupid, Murrue. You're just in love... It happens once in a while." I said. She looked at me with a confused look and I smiled.

"Don't tell me you've never been in love, Murrue?" I exclaimed, putting my hands against my mouth.

"Of course I have. I was married once, proof that I am old." She said, unclipping an ID pendant off her neck. She handed it to me and I looked at it. The name of her deceased husband and his military number was on it, along with roses and a cross.

"I am sorry for your loss, Captain. I shouldn't have joked about that matter." I said, handing back her precious souvenir.

"It's been a long time since I've felt this tingling sensation in my stomach. I don't know what to do." She said.

"It's like the man you love will never be able to love you back. It's not allowed and it's against nature. Nothing in the whole universe would explain why you love a man you can't have and that's just the right way to say that you'll never love another man again." I said, closing my eyes. She looked at me and frowned.

"... How do you know this?" she asked. I flushed and looked away. "It's nothing." I replied, avoiding her gaze. She put a hand on my shoulder and sighed. "Are you in love, Kim?" she asked. I didn't answer: I couldn't talk to my Captain about my personal relationships. "I may be your Captain, but I am also a woman. You can trust me." She said.

"It's... It's... Ugh, it's complicated." I said, sighing.

"I have all night." She said.

"Well, let's just say that the man I... find attractive is out of reach. He's... a Coordinator and he fights for ZAFT." I said, unravelling the truth. She looked up and shook her head. "Why do we always fall in love with the badass one?" she asked, giggling. I shrugged and replied that I didn't know. "What does he look like?" she asked.

"He has this long and lean body. He has this shiny silvery gray hair and his ivory skin matches his features quite remarkably. And his eyes... they're the most beautiful shade of blue, like sapphire jewels. It's too bad they don't show that fire I'm looking for in a man, though. What I don't like about him is his attitude: he's a jerk." I said.

"Every man has its qualities... and sometimes they're just hidden very well. You'll see soon enough what I mean. What's his name?" she asked. I sighed.

"I am afraid I can't answer that question." I replied. "Very well, I respect that."

The Archangel's radar suddenly detected something. Murrue and I jumped off of our seats and looked at the monitor screen.

"It's...! Two ships are coming our way! Earth Forces ships!" she exclaimed. I sprung up and was about to leave the room when Murrue activated the alarm.

_All hands to level 1 battle station! I repeat: All hands to level one battle station! Two Alliance's ships are coming to the dock of Orb's territory! _Screamed Murrue in the Archangel's communication system. Orb's employees were also alerted and I hurried to the radar again: they were unidentified ships, so I didn't the model or the series of the ships. Soon, Commander LaFlaga bolted in the room and called Murrue.

"What the hell is happening?" he asked, zipping his uniform.

"Two unidentified ships are coming our way! We must open the dock's gates to see what kind of enemy we'll be facing. Alert the mechanic crew and prepare our machines, Commander!" she ordered. Mu nodded and hurried outside the control room. As soon as Orb's mechanics were ready, they opened the gates and revealed the purple dark night sky of Orb. The Archangel was once again at the mercy of the enemies and Kira came in running along with the rest of the officers and his friends.

"What's happening?" they all exclaimed. Suddenly, I could see small shadows in the horizon. I saw two shadows floating on the ocean, heading towards us. "Look! It's them! They're coming!" said Miriallia, pointing her finger in the direction of the incoming ships. They got closer by the minute and I was ready to embark the Vengeance and destroy those motherfuckers of the Earth Forces. The only thing bizarre with these ships was their white ban on their sides. I suddenly understood what they were: it's the _Division_!

"Holy mother of God! This is not good!" screamed the first officer, buttoning his vest. "The main goal here is to stay calm." Said Murrue, trying to reassure her troop.

"How come we can't identify them?" said the second officer, in commands.

"I've identified them." I stated. "What are those and what do they want!" screamed Murrue, gripping to my shoulder. "They're... part of the _Division_'s war fleet." I said, earning some 'What the fuck!' and 'Here we go again!' from crewmembers.

"Are you sure?" asked Murrue, looking right into my eyes. "99% sure, yes." The radio signal traced something and the second officer asked Murrue if he could take that call. "Do whatever it takes." She instructed him. He put the phone on speaker and we all heard a man's voice.

"_This is Lieutenant James Shackle of the _Division_'s fleet! I demand permission to talk with the Captain of the infamous Archangel! We must recover the pilot Kim Desjardins for her contract with us has not expired yet! I repeat: we demand to talk with the Captain of the Archangel so we can retake possession of the pilot Kim Desjardins and her Mobile suit!" _**...What do I do now?**

"Let them come." Said Murrue, breathing slowly.

"With all due respect, Captain, but what the _fuck_ are you thinking? Are you _fucking_ nuts? We can't afford to be attacked in such a vulnerable position!" screamed Mu LaFlaga, looking at me.

"I won't allow you to speak to me out of terms again!" she said, pointing at him. "Kim Desjardins saved our lives multiple times and is an important part of this team now so she deserves that we take a stand for her! Is anyone **objecting** to this?" she asked, looking around the room. No one had ever seen her in such a rage and Kira looked at me with a scared look on his face. "Good. Take your positions. We'll wait for them."

They took about fifteen minutes to reach Orb's territory and Cagalli had entered the Archangel, ready for some explanation. I was still in the control room and we all saw a couple of men descending on a small boat and arriving in the hangar. I took a deep breath and Murrue instructed me to follow her. "Stay here, everyone." She said, closing the doors behind us. I walked silently beside her and she smiled to me.

"I'll take care of things... You don't worry about a thing." She said. I couldn't smile back to her: my anxiety was now very high and I saw Cagalli at the end of the corridor.

"Captain Ramius! What's the meaning of this?" she exclaimed, running to us. "I am sorry, Lady Cagalli. I have personal matter to discuss with someone. It will only take a couple of minutes." Cagalli frowned. "I'm coming with you. You can't bring in strangers without my permission." She said.

"Fine, just follow me." She said to the young girl.

We exited the Archangel from its side exit doors and we stepped on the metal docks of the harbor. The small boat coming towards us was carrying two passengers, one I could recognize: James Shackle. They disembarked their locomotion and stepped on the metal docks, about ten feet from us.

"Captain Ramius! Long time no see!" Shackle exclaimed, waving. "It's been a long while, Lieutenant Shackle." She said. He walked towards us and he noticed my presence.

"It seems this young lady has changed somehow." He said, pointing at me. "Yes, she matures quickly... But I'm afraid we can't hand her back in your care, Lieutenant." She said, crossing her arms. **The Captain never crosses her arms!**

"I am afraid I don't understand why, Captain Ramius. You'll have to explain to me why you shouldn't give back _my_ soldier." Said Shackle, frowning a little.

"You see, since the last time we met, Kim has changed her mind about the Earth Forces. Since you are in an alliance with them, I'm afraid her choice is clear: she won't go back with you." Continued Murrue, keeping her arms crossed.

"I see you've adopted a certain attitude, Captain. I wonder what _she_ thinks about what you said. I want to hear Kim Desjardins talk to me about that." Said Shackle, looking at me. **It's time. **

"I have no more desire to continue my path with you, Lieutenant. I am afraid I had a better proposition that suits my principles better." I said, taking a step back.

The Lieutenant giggled and his laughing turned wild and crazy. "What do you mean, principles? You've never had any! You didn't tell them what your real job was in the _Division_, am I right?" he said, tempting my rage.

"What is he talking about?" asked Cagalli, muttering in my ear. I looked down and kept silence. "I see you don't want them to learn from you... Well it's a good thing I'm here! You see, Kim wasn't just an ordinary soldier... she was a private soldier, paid by someone to kill whoever he felt like killing. Yes, she was a hit man, hired and paid to kill. Isn't that a pity?" he asked, looking at me with lucid eyes.

"I changed my ways! I burned all the money you gave to me! I was angry! I didn't know what I was doing! I didn't understand that what I was doing was wrong! I would give my life a thousand times to bring these people I killed back to life!"

"Lies! These are all lies! People don't change, you should know that! Think about your subordinate who died to save you! Seth Yoshiro died for you and it's all your fault!" he said, striking a sensible cord. "Don't you dare talking about..."** Wait a second... How does he know that?**

"How do you know he died protecting me? You didn't have the chance or technology to retrace the fight he died in! You... You..." **No...! NO!**

"I see you understand now. Yes, I know what happened because I _planned_ it! I ordered Nichol Armafi to kill Seth Yoshiro so that you would hate those Coordinator bastards even more and continue to work for the _Division_! He was paid to kill you're reason for living!" he said, pointing a gun at me. Murrue tried to intercept the man but he shot her in the shoulder and she fell on the dock, immobilized by pain.

"MURRUE!" I looked at the man holding a loaded gun and growled, running towards him. "Kim! Don't do it!" screamed Cagalli, who was on the floor, taking care of Murrue. He fired again and the bullet hit my leg like ice cold water that burned my flesh but I wouldn't stop running until I reached for that man's throat. Another bullet was shot and this time, it pierced my left arm.

"TOO BAD YOU HIT THE LEFT ARM, DUMBASS!" I screamed, jumping on his and punching his face hard enough for him to fall down. I quickly took the knife in my boot and put it to his throat. "Please... don't kill me! I'll do whatever you want!" he screamed, his madness overcoming his face.

"Give me one good reason!" I screamed, pressing the knife tighter to his jugular. "I'll... I'll give you a new Mobile suit! I'll give you my money just please, don't kill me!" I smirked and got off of the man: since he was pleading for his pathetic life, I wouldn't give myself the satisfaction of killing him.

"You old fool. Get out of here before I sink your ships. I never want to hear from you ever again." I threw my knife in the water and turned around and stepped back. I heard him standing up and loading his gun he picked from the floor.

"What are you going to do now? Kill me because I've let you live?" I asked, turning my head around.

"You're right; it wouldn't be very diplomatic, now would it? I'll simply kill you when you face the Earth Forces fleet. Oh, I almost forgot: I want the Valliant back, you traitor." He said, still pointing the gun at me.

I giggled. "Are you _serious_? You really want it back?" I said out loud. "You better like puzzles. It's probably lying on a beach, somewhere in the outskirts of Orb. You can go look for it if you feel like it, though I say I calculated that you would never be able to assemble it again." I said, keeping a fair distance with the man.

"You... You destroyed it?" he asked, in the middle of confusion.

"You mean it has been destroyed? Yes, that's obvious." I continued.

"You... _How_ will you repay me for this invaluable gift?" he asked, curious and furious at the same time.

"It's wasn't a gift from you, _asshole_. It was given to me by Captain DuFlamme, years ago. I suggest you get lost before the Orb police reaches to you: they're just outside the hangar if you're asking." He smirked evilly and quickly made an escape with his boat, exiting the docks. I took a deep breath and turned around, worried. "Captain! Cagalli, is she alright?" I asked, running towards the twosome.

"Yes, she'll be fine: the bullet didn't touch anything majorly important, she'll survive." I looked at Murrue and smiled. "I'm... glad... you're not with them anymore." She said.

"You should keep quiet. You're injured." I said, swallowing my remorse.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Commander La Flaga along with two officers running in our direction, medical kit apparently ready to use. Mu had a worried-sick look on his face and quickly rejoined with us. Murrue sat held on her shoulder, the blood still flowing out of her body. "Murrue! What happened?" he exclaimed, kneeling beside her.

"She got shot by this James Shackle man. He only scratched her shoulder: it's really not a deep injury." Said Cagalli, rubbing the Captain's back.

"It's my fault." I said to him, guilt washing over my body.

"We'll talk about his later... We should bring her to the Sick Bay for examination. I'll bring her in." Said Mu LaFlaga, stretching to grab the injured woman's body. He swiftly lifted her and we were all heading to the Archangel again. Cagalli looked at me while we were walking and put a hand on my shoulder. "It's not your fault, Kim. Things like that happen during a war."

"If I hadn't been so stupid in the past, maybe none of this would've happened."


	22. Phase 22

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

The minutes passed as the Archangel's medics healed our wounds and bandaged them. I wouldn't look directly into Murrue's eyes and she seemed to have noticed. Our beds were separate and I could feel she was looking at me.

"Why won't you look at me, Kim? I am your Captain." She said.

"You wouldn't understand. I put you through so much already, now I made your shoulder useless." I said.

"That man was crazy and he shot. It's not your fault: you're not at cause." She said, trying to calm me and to reassure me.

"Well it's not like this happens every day now, does it? A pilot putting her Captain, which happens to be the Captain of a very important ship, in danger. How can I explain this to myself, Murrue? What can I tell myself so my head will stop harassing me? Please, tell me." I said to her.

"Maybe you can tell your head to mind its own business and to shut up." She said, giggling. "That's not funny! How can you say stuff like that? You've just been shot, in the middle of the night! You're probably tired and we have to get up early tomorrow because the fight against the Earth Forces begins!" I asked her, standing up. "Hey, you shouldn't stand up yet." Said the medic, trying to push me on the bed.

"Hey, _you_ shouldn't tell me what to do! These bullets just scratched me, it's nothing serious. I have a Mobile suit I have to pilot, if you know what I mean. I need my rest and I won't find it here." I said.

"Good night, Captain." I said, waving good bye. When I got out of the Sick Bay, I saw Mu LaFlaga walking back and forth, waiting for news.

"Commander, why are you up so late?" I asked him. He grabbed me by the collar and pulled me to the wall. "You know what you've caused, right? Look at you! You're a mess! I don't know if I should trust you anymore, Kim Desjardins!" he said, still holding me.

"Hands down, Commander. I already said it was my fault and I take full responsibility of this misfortune. Instead of harassing me, why don't you go see the woman you love?" I snapped. He sighed and let go of me, putting me on the ground.

"I am sorry. It wasn't very politically correct, what I did." I smirked and nudged his arm. "It is fine. Next time you do that, can you make sure I'm not scared to tears? You really did scare me, Commander." I said, giggling.

"It was the point." He walked away, finally taking all of his courage and waling inside the Sick Bay.

I went to the dorms floor and went in my room and lay down on my bed. It wasn't hard to close my eyes and to sleep but I promised myself that I wouldn't sleep until this battle was over. I looked outside and could see the faintest gleam of the rising sun. It was dawn and in just a couple of hours, the Earth Forces fleets would attack the neutral nation of Orb. My eyelids were getting heavier and it was getting hard to fight back the dreams. **I guess a little nap won't hurt me... After all, I need to be... in top shape... for the battle...**

I woke up two hours later by someone trying to wake me up. "Kim, Kim are you awake? We're making the final preparations..." said the voice. I opened my eyes and saw Cagalli's eyes looking right into mine.

"Cagalli... are we ready?" I asked her. "Orb is in full readiness. The Archangel is making its final preparations. We've readied the Vengeance and the Freedom for immediate take off. I suggest you dress and prepare." She said. She helped me up and tossed me my Mobile suit combination. I quickly put it on and she handed me my helmet.

"Kira is waiting for you in the hangar." She said. She was about to go away but I stopped her in her tracks.

"Cagalli... Be strong... for your country." She smiled and nodded proudly.

"Of course I'll be. I have to and I will stay strong no matter what." She said. I followed her out of the dorms and we were about to go separate ways. "Cagalli. Take care of yourself, my friend." We hugged and she replied: "Make sure you don't die out there, Kim." I nodded and she stepped in the elevator, going upwards, to disembark the Archangel. **Take care of Orb, princess.**

I stepped inside the elevator and descended to the hangar. I quickly stepped out and ran towards the mechanic crew, who was having a briefing. "You guys have to be sharp and alert to anything! I know some of you may have mixed feelings about fighting the Alliance, but we fight alongside Orb now! Do your best, gentlemen." Said Murdoch, dismissing his team.

"Are you ready, Chief Murdoch?" I asked.

"Never more. The kid is waiting for you near the Freedom. He looked kind of off, maybe you should go talk to him." He said. I nodded and headed towards the N-Jammer Canceller machine. I saw Kira standing in front of the Freedom, his mind probably in deep thoughts.

"Kira, there you are." I walked towards him and he turned around.

"Kim, you're awake... I'm sorry, I sent Cagalli to wake you up." He said. "Don't worry, she didn't throw a bucket of cold water at me." He smirked and sighed.

"I can't believe we're going to fight the Earth Forces..." he said. "Me neither but we have to." The Archangel's alarm system rang in our ears as Miriallia's voice followed:

"_All hands to level one battle station! The Orb Forces and the Earth Alliance's Forces have begun battle! I repeat: all hands to level one battle station! The battle has started! The Archangel is taking off."_

"Let's go, Kira!"

We both headed for our Mobile suits and I jumped into the Vengeance's cockpit and started the machine. "Kira, what's the plan?" I asked. "I think we should just do what we did last time. Let me go in the front and back me up, if you don't mind, that is."

"Alright, we'll do that until further notice." I replied.

Kira was the first to be ejected from the Archangel and I was placed on the second platform, ready to take the hatch. _"System all green! You can launch, Kim!"_ I made some final adjustments and nodded.

"Kim Desjardins, Vengeance, taking off!" The Vengeance was immediately pushed deep in the hatch and I was released outside, where the sky was blue, without clouds. I looked for Kira, who was waiting for me, meters away. "Follow me!" he said. I looked around and noticed the battle was already raging on between Orb and the Alliance. Mobile suits were already destroyed on the beaches and flying engines of all sorts decorated the sky. I aimed the Vengeance's multiple positron guns at the sky and aimed at them. The Vengeance calculated the positions or every targets and I pressed on my trigger button. Beams coming from every gun shots and at least twenty enemy Mobile suits were eliminated in one single blow.

"Kira, I detected something coming our way."

"I know, Kim. Three Mobile suits incoming. Prepare yourself."

"And who do you think I am? Trust me, Kira: this is going to hurt... _Kira, behind you!_" I screamed, shooting at the Mobile suit behind him.

"How did they get here so fast?" he exclaimed. I didn't have time to reply: there was a duo on my ass, pursuing me. "Kim, watch behind you! The aqua Mobile suit! It's aiming right at you!" **Who do they think they're fooling? Some surprise attacks are not going to make me fall.**

The heavy looking aqua Mobile suit missed its shot and I evaded quite easily. The beam destroyed an Astray, but that was the consequences of war. I flew higher and I knew the black mobile was following me. I changed my gears and the Spike Aile pack smoothens to created a more vertical version that glided better in high altitudes.

"Are you running away, you bastard!" the voice said through communication. I decided to ignore the man speaking to me and I plunged, confusing my foe.

"Where are you going? Come back here!" the voice said. I saw Kira fighting with a third Mobile suit, this time, a green one.

"Kira, out of the way!" I said. I took out my laser blade and hit the green Mobile suit with a shocking thrust. I gasped. **Its shield is much stronger than I expected! It didn't even budge, like it reflected the impact!** I glided back and looked behind me to see the black Mobile suit throwing a spiky ball at me.

"You die, bastard!" I let the Vengeance fall downwards to evade but I was hit with the scythe of the green Mobile suit. I pressed on the speed lever and pressed on the pedal hard: the Vengeance followed my orders and sprung up like a hurricane.

"The mother fucker's playing with you, Shani! Get him!" said the voice from earlier: it was the pilot of the red and black Mobile suit talking.

"I can't, you freak! I'm taking care of the white one!" Another voice took over the communication. "Yeah, Clotho, you dipshit! Take care of the purple one like you're supposed to and shut your trap!" said the pilot of the aqua green Mobile suit.

"Kim, the black one's after you! Move!" I sped up and flew upwards, looking behind me. Kira was right: the black Mobile suit was still following me like a magnet. He threw his spike ball at me again and I protected myself with my shield.

"You coward! Why won't you just fight?" I took out my laser sword and swung it into his direction and the pilot evaded. I swung my blade again and this time, I landed a hit. The right shoulder of the black Mobile suit disappeared and its pilot didn't seem too happy about it.

"What the fuck just happened? You'll pay for this!"

"Get the fuck out of my way, Clotho! I've got this bastard!" The aqua green mobile suit aimed its Gottfried cannon at me and shot. I let the Vengeance free fall again, evading the shot. I quickly paced to Kira, who was having problems with the green Mobile suit.

"I'm coming, Kira!" I took out the Vengeance's sniper gun and shot, but the shield deflected it and send it right back at me. I evaded and looked at the Freedom. **We're not going to last long on a two-on-three... I better think of something before...**

"Kira, watch it!" Kira had made the biggest mistake a pilot can make: losing focus. The black Mobile sneaked from behind and shot the fatal beam. "KIRA!"

When I noticed that Kira's Freedom was still intact, I frowned in confusion. When I saw what was in front of him to protect him, I gasped. **It's... it's! It looks like our Mobile suits!** The Mobile suit that had protected Kira was a tall and red one with green eyes with a Jet Pack. I could see the logo of the N-Jammer Canceller on its body and glided backwards, taking a distance from this Mobile suit. The aqua green mobile had sneaked up behind Kira's Freedom and I pressed the on the speed pedal and took out my laser blade.

"Oh no you don't!" I swung the beastly weapon and made the enemy Mobile fall back: one of his cannons had exploded. "Damn it! Someone, get that damn purple demon before I go nuts!" I let the Vengeance in a free fall and the three Mobile suits followed me under.

"Kira, get your cool back: I'm making a diversion!"

"_This is ZAFT Special Forces agent Athrun Zala! Can you hear me, Freedom, Vengeance? Kira Yamato and Kim Desjardins, I presume..." _**Athrun Zala? He's here? What's he doing here? What's going on?**

"Kim! They're on your tail! Do something!" screamed Kira, snapping back to his senses. **Don't worry: I have a plan. **I could see the aqua green Mobile suit mounting the black on, who was on Mobile armor mode and the green one under me, underwater.

"Eat this you bastards!" I grabbed the black Mobile suit with the other still on top of it and threw them downwards, against the third one, making the three of them fall in the water violently. **Now's the time to go back to Kira.**

"Kira? Are you okay?" I asked, rejoining with the Freedom and the anonymous Mobile suit. I looked at the red Mobile suit and got out my laser blade, pointing at it.

"What do you want, Athrun Zala? What's the bid idea? Is ZAFT going to sticks its nose in this battle?" I asked, putting myself in front of Kira. "It's... Athrun..." he said, still shocked.

"I have no specific orders regarding this battle!" he said. "Kim, here they come!" said Kira, defending himself with his shield, protecting me with along the way. The green Mobile suit attacked with a deflecting beam and aimed Kira, who evaded. "This intervention... is my decision alone!" screamed Athrun, shielding a beam from the black Mobile suit.

"I don't know what's going on but you're going down too!" screamed Clotho, out of control. He sent some Valiant beams to Athrun but the blue haired teen escaped this situation easily. Kira, on the other hand, was having problems with the green Mobile suit, its beams ineffective against this one's reflecting shields. I looked around and saw the aqua green Mobile suit positioned on the edge of a cliff, aiming directly at Kira. I pressed on the speed lever and flew at the speed of light towards him. "You leave him alone!" My blade swung through one of its smaller guns and this one's beam almost touched its comrade. "Orga, damn you!" screamed the pilot of the black Mobile suit, Clotho. It seemed that these pilots hated each other and to our surprise, began to shoot at each other. "Shani, you bastard! Don't shoot me: shoot **them**!" screamed Orga, pissed.

The next minutes were long and exhausting. Even I had to concentrate so see what kinds of attacks were thrown at me: Athrun had helped me a couple of times but it seemed like the pilot of the black Mobile suit had an obsession with me.

"I want you! I want you _dead_!" Kira and Athrun were fighting against the other two and I had some difficulty trying to screw up the black one. **Why am I his only target?** "Come back here, you bitch!" I let the Vengeance in a free fall and took out my laser blade and cut the black Mobile suit's leg from under it. "They'll eventually tire out!" I said to Kira. "How I wish it was soon!"

They suddenly stopped, immobilized. The three of them stopped at the same time, paralyzed by something. I looked above and saw Kira and Athrun, side by side. "What's going on with them...?" I asked. "I have no idea..." Kira replied. And without any warning, they vanished from the battlegrounds, silently, without any excuses or apparent reasons. We looked in the distance and saw retreat signals coming from the Earth Forces fleet. "They're... retreating?" asked Athrun, confused. "I... We thank you for your support. But I'd like to confirm once again your true intentions." Said Kira, obviously talking to Kira.

"I have...orders from our Headquarters to either recapture or destroy those machines, the Freedom and Vengeance. But right now... I have no intention of fighting you or your allies... I'd like to have a talk... with you two..." replied Athrun. It was now sunset and the glow of the sky changed from light blue to deep orange and red. "Do you want to talk to him?" I asked Kira. "I... think so. It's worth it, I think."

The three Neutron Jammer Canceller fuelled machines landed in the devastated city of Ngoro, gliding smoothly downwards. When the Vengeance's feet touched the ground, I opened my cockpit and descended from the purple Mobile suit. I could see Kira do the same, along with Athrun Zala. When my feet touched the ground, I let go of the cord and walked towards Kira. He was looking straight at Kira, like he couldn't look at anything else more important. The Archangel had also landed in Ngoro and rejoined with us, near the Mobile suits. Kira and I walked side by side towards Athrun and he did the same. Ready to shoot, the Orb troops aimed gun at Athrun and Kira elevated hi arm.

"He's not an enemy!" he said, looking at Cagalli. She quickly ordered her men to calm down and they lowered their guns.

When Kira and I reached Athrun, there were no other words that could escape my friend's mouth except: "Hi, Athrun." **Are you an idiot? You can't just say 'hi' to someone who tried to kill you, Kira! **

"Kira...!" was all Athrun would say. "_Yes_, we _all_ know you guys know each other. Can you say something else?" I asked, losing my patience.

"... I guess you'll never change, Kim." Said Kira, chuckling.

"...You! You guys!" screamed a voice I recognized. Cagalli was running towards us full speed, tears blinding her. She hugged us and reunited us above the shoulders so my head thumped Athrun's.

"I'm sorry..." I said. "I guess its okay..." he replied, shy. "C-Cagalli!" said Kira, taken by surprise. "You guys are... bastards!" she said, tears flooding her face. I looked at Kira and giggled.

"My _God_ Cagalli, get a grip! And stop crying, you total freaking cry baby!" I said. She nudged me in the stomach and Kira and Athrun smiled. "Women..."


	23. Phase 23

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

The night has passed pretty fast, though. In the morning, the alarm ringed in my ears as I sprung from my seat, thunderstruck. "Oh, what the hell? _Already_?" I asked myself out loud, swearing.

_"Airborne Mobile suits force approaching Onogoro! Prepare to counterattack!" _**Oh, well... I'm already sitting in the Vengeance... I guess they'll eject me first.**

As I thought, the Vengeance was immediately put on a moving platform, in front of the Freedom, the Strike and the Astray M-1 team. I turned on the engine and entered some last minute data on my attackers. **So, the green one's named Forbidden, the black one is the Raider and the aqua green one is Calamity... The designers for those machines picked out killer names for those Mobile suits... "**_Are you ready to go? System's all green!" _said Miriallia. "Yes! Kim Desjardins, Vengeance, taking off!"

I had an odd feeling that something was going to happen that day. I had this awful feeling in my stomach that something; somewhere was going to turn out wrong. I looked around and some Strike-Daggers were flying to me at low altitude, aiming their Gottfried's at me. I aimed at the Earth Forces Mobile suits and took out my two rifle cannons and shot long arrays of beams, killing the pilots instantly. Since the Vengeance was equipped for aerial combat, I couldn't go and assist Commander La Flaga or Dearka, who had also joined the battle as well, being liberated by the Archangel. Onogoro was practically 99% in ruins but people still fought for the desperate land they loved so much. **I understand how Cagalli's feeling now... It feels like home when you take a look at it.**

Kira soon rejoined with me and we headed straight for Onogoro's main battle front: the battle against the Orb Forces and the Earth Alliance was still raging on, people clinging to life in their Mobile suits. Kira had aimed and shot multiples times already and I slashed one enemy after the other, thinking that the fighting would never end at this rate. The other question I was asking myself was _where in the hell were those three machines from yesterday_? **They must not be very far... Must be hiding or waiting for the moment to catch us off guard...**

"Kim! Behind you! It's the black Mobile suit!" screamed Kira. I quickly turned around and protected myself form the assault with my laser sword, the Raider passing me from above. I looked up high and saw the Calamity sitting on top of the Raider, aiming directly at Kira and I. The Vengeance moved sideways and so did the Freedom.

"Oh yeah! It's the hotshots from yesterday!" screamed Orga, a maniac grin plastering his face. "Kira, evade!" The curving beam shot by the Forbidden had almost hit Kira but he plunged downwards at the last second and evaded the deadly beam by a hair. "I'll get you for sure today!" screamed Clotho, shooting in Kira's direction.

"You're **mine**!" I turned around and the Forbidden was dangerously close, swinging its long and sharp scythe in my direction. I swing my laser at it but the god damn deflecting shields blocked the impact easily once again.

"Can't do nothing about that, bastard!" said Shani, pushing the Vengeance away, making the cockpit shake all over. I regained control of my machine and headed high in the sky, not stopping to look if Kira was doing fine.

"I'll get the purple one! Take care of the white one!" screamed Clotho, exchanging places with Shani, who directly flew towards Kira. The Raider threw its spike ball directly to the Vengeance's cockpit and I blocked it away with my shield, making the metal suit shake with violent convulsions. **Damn...! What's happening? Why are they so strong? They're not Naturals, that's for sure. This is bad... it's a three on two! At this rate, we won't be able to push them off much longer...** I evaded a shot coming from the Calamity and hurried my pace to keep a safe distance between the Vengeance and the Raider. I glanced down and saw Kira having some major problems with the Calamity and the Forbidden, which seemed to have synchronized their attacks to confuse Kira.

I changed direction and headed down very fast, in direction of the Freedom. I took out my second laser sword and united it with my first one to create the double sided laser blade. I pressed on the speed lever and the speed pedal to the maximum and aimed the Calamity, making sure the pilot hadn't seen me.

"Eat this you bastard!" I swung the weapon in direction of the right cannon of the aqua green Mobile suit and it exploded with a loud noise. "Why that damn bitch! I'll get her!" I evaded the Gottfried beam coming from the Raider and snapped. **Where is their mother ship? Who's embarking those machines? The thing can't be far if I calculated correctly...** "Kira! Kira, I'm going to... KIRA!" The positron beam coming from behind his back was too fast for the teenager. He quickly turned around but it was too late for the Freedom: the beam was going to hit and land bull's eyes at the cockpit. "He's finished!" screamed Clotho, overjoyed. I suddenly smirked and the small grin turned into a smile.

"I guess it's too bad for these guys that Athrun showed up in time... again!" The Justice had dodged the beam instead of Kira and proved that he was, once and for all, on our side.

"Kira!"

"Athrun, but why?" exclaimed Kira, surprised.

"I understood what you meant...! There are certain things that one must fight to protect in this world!" he said, shooting his positron cannon at the Raider.

"Athrun...! You came!" I said, rejoining the twosome. "Yes... I don't want to hate what I am anymore." He said, his Justice siding with the Vengeance.

"I'm glad you came... you do me great honors." I said, blocking a shot. The sudden boost of hope had made our minds sharper and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel: the Calamity was getting lousy with its aim, the Forbidden was slacking with its shields and the Raider was missing every one of its target. Their coordination was getting off and they're attitude seemed to have changed from cockiness to impatience. The Calamity stopped for a brief moment and seemed to be having some major difficulties with the energy of its Mobile suit.

"What pests! Damn it, you stupid Mobile suit! You're out of energy _already_?" Screamed Orga, losing his patience, making his moves predictable again. I threw a knife in his direction and he took a direct hit, unable to evade it. "Why I am dried up?" he continued.

"It's because you're firing all over the place, _dumbass_!" screamed Clotho, angering his comrade even more out of annoyance. "Say what?" he said, flying from above, trying to evade my shoots.

"If you're going to leave, then do it yourself: you're on your own!" continued Clotho, throwing words like needles to its fellow team member. Clotho was so concentrated on nagging Orga that he omitted to look in front of him: Athrun suddenly popped out from the water and was heading a direct hit to Clotho with its twin laser sword, cutting the Raider's spike ball in half, making it unusable. The Raider transformed into jet mode and took a distance with the fighting grounds, almost out of energy as well.

"Hey, _you're_ the _dumbass_!" Clotho growled. "Who do you think you're...! Ugh!" screamed Clotho, shaken by Orga's landing violently on top the Raider.

"Who said you could get on, _free loader_?" asked the redhead, furious.

"Shut your mouth, we have to go back and recharge! Don't tell me you're not running on empty as well!" replied Orga, warning him. I glanced to my side and saw Kira dueling with the Forbidden, which was also very low on energy. I saw Kira flying its way, ready to destroy it to pieces. It seemed Shani had found out that his two partners had left the field and he evaded Kira's hit by blocking its laser sword with its scythe. The green Mobile suit flew away, in obvious defeat. Athrun rejoined with Kira and I did the same, taking deep breaths, trying to relax and to rush the adrenaline out of my system.

We went back to Onogoro, which was now fully condemned, ravaged and in total ruins. There were not too many Astrays M-1 anymore, but the Strike and the Buster had resisted the sudden assault. We went back to the hangar and embarked out Mobile suits aboard the Archangel again, exhausted. We were asked, all of the pilots, to assist to a meeting, a private meeting with Chief Representative Uzumi Yula Atha with the Captain and Commander LaFlaga. I got out of my cockpit and descend to main grounds were I met with Kira and Athrun. There were no words to describe how tired we were.

"Where's this sudden meeting taking place?" I asked, whipping the beads of sweat on my forehead. "Cagalli told me to meet them back Kaguya: we're leaving Onogoro." Said Kira, taking a deep breath.

"The Archangel's moving so we'll move with it to Kaguya." Said Athrun, rubbing his hands to shake away the numbness. I closed my eyes and let my mind rest for a while.

(...)

The Archangel, who was safely transported to the Kaguya base, was put in an odd cube shaped hangar. Kira, Athrun, Dearka, Commander LaFlaga and I were asked to meet Lord Uzumi at the base's control room, where he was waiting for us. We all entered the wide facility and an employee had taken us to the Chief Representative. Cagalli was already with her father, accompanied by Captain Ramius, the teen's facial expression twisted with anger and surprise. "_Leave Orb_? Exclaimed Cagalli, confused. "Uzumi-sama, you're telling us... to run away?" The conversation was getting deeper as we made our way to the control room, shocked by what we had heard. Kira, Athrun and I looked at each other, lost for words again.

"I'm sure you realize by now that it's only a matter of time before Orb is lost. Cagalli, outraged by the situation, shook her head in disbelief and replied to her father.

"What are you saying, father?" The Lord sighed and looked at his daughter, sadness in his face. "Our people have already been evacuated. There are other means to support them. We'll take it over from here. But even if we were to lose Orb, there are things we must never lose. The mastermind behind these actions taken by the Earth Forces... is the leader of Blue Cosmos, Muruta Azrael." Athrun looked at me with round eyes and Kira sighed in disbelief.

"In addition, the PLANTs are now controlled by Patrick Zala, a man who believes Coordinators are a species unto themselves..." Athrun looked away in shame and Kira put a hand on his shoulder.

"He's not you." He said to his friend. Lord Uzumi sighed and continued.

"The way things are progressing, the world will be caught in between two forces that refuse to recognize each other's existence. Is that an acceptable future for _you_?" he asked, pointing as Kira, Athrun, Dearka, Cagalli and I. "If you envision an alternative, then take this light of hope that we have lit and guide us to a new future. It'll mean taking the hard road once again, but I'm sure you understand why it's necessary, Captain Murrue Ramius. Murrue looked at us and stilled her gaze on Mu LaFlaga, who reassured her with a simple nod.

"Though it's going to be harder than ever, we'll try as hard as ever..." she said, concluding this conversation with the Chief Representative.

"Then... I suggest you get ready." Was the way the Lord ended his meeting, patting Cagalli's head. Athrun and Kira waited for me at the door, their gaze on me. I stepped towards Cagalli and she had tears in her eyes, understanding fully the complex situation.

"Cagalli, it's time to be strong." Said her father, putting a firm hand on her shoulder. "But father...! Orb means everything to me! You can't just...!" he interrupted her. "I am going to lead Orb in the unknown with dignity, my daughter. You won't be alone through this: you have your friends, who will support you. You have to be strong." He said, leaving. Cagalli stayed still and focused her attention on the ground. I hugged her and sighed.

"We'll get through this one, Cagalli. You'll see, we'll be brilliant." I said, patting her back. She nodded and quickly dismissed the tears in her eyes. "Yeah... I have things to do; you should go with Athrun and Kira, Kim. I'll see you later." She said, also leaving. "Are you coming, Kim? We have to get back to the ship." Said Kira with a smile on his face. "Yeah... I'm coming."

(...)

I had just learned that we were going in space again, trying to escape the grasp of the Earth Forces. The last hope of Orb, the Kusanagi, an Izumo class spaceship loaded with Astray M-1 and other supplies we might need during our trip. Orb wasn't going to give up on its people and surely not on its pride: Lord Uzumi would make sure that his nation would stand strong and neutral, even in the most ravaging wars the Earth has ever known.

In went outside with Kira to meet with Dearka and Athrun, who were already discussing their options.

"Sure, there's nothing keeping us from returning to Carpentaria since it's the Earth Forces we're fighting against, after all..." we heard Dearka, speaking to Athrun. **It must be hard for them to betray their nation like this... They'll be severely punished if their caught or captured. It means death, in the military. It must be even harder for Athrun since his father is the ruler of the Coordinators, back in space... I just wish it was easier for all of us... But that's a utopia, right? Nothing is easy in life and war is not an exception. **Athrun's eyes were livid and he seemed tired of all of this fighting... against the enemy, against his father... against himself... The young man was enduring a living hell and everybody knew about it. He seemed absent for a moment and muttered:

"Athrun Zala of ZAFT..." He then smiled to himself and spoke.

"_She_ knew all along." I frowned. **What is he talking about? Who's the woman he's talking about? **"Athrun?" asked Kira, worried that his friend might go crazy on him.

"I... I was taught that a soldier is supposed to follow orders from his nation and always do his best to fight the enemy. I always thought there was no other option for me in this war to put a quick end to it. The thing is that people are not asking the right question to themselves... They keep saying: "Why are we fighting?" and "Who do we have to kill to put an end to this?" but the real question is: "Who's the enemy? What should we really be fighting against?" Kira understood the turmoil inside Athrun and simply said:

"Come with us, Athrun. We'll search for the answer... together." We all nodded and Kira and Dearka disappeared inside the Archangel, leaving Athrun with me, outside with the Mobile suits. I presented my hand to him and he frowned, lost.

"I misjudged you, Athrun Zala. You're not the person I thought you were. Anyway, who am I to judge? I think you can do great... I am sorry. Will you accept my apology?" I asked with a sympathetic smile on my face. He smiled back and happily shook my hand. "Thank you. It means a lot to me, Kim. I have the feeling we can be... great friends..." he said, smirking. "Yeah... I guess we can." I replied, following him inside to make our final preparations before the departure.

I was helping with packing the supplied in the Archangel's hangar when the alarm rang in our ears, making everyone nervous. _"The radar of Kaguya picked something up! They're Mobile suits!" _**Damn! It's those Earth Forces Mobile suits again!** I ran to the Vengeance and got in the cockpit, readying the machine for takeoff.

_"Kim, can you assist Athrun and I for the take off? It's just in case we get attacked by those machines again... It's better to be a three on three..." _said Kira through communication. _"Roger that, I'll come with you guys."_ I put my helmet on and the Archangel's engines started to fire up, ready to take a leave. I was put on the moving platform and as soon as the systems were all green, I was ejected from the hatch. Athrun and Kira soon were behind me, waiting for the attackers while the Archangel took flight, heading for the stratosphere. As soon as the Vengeance's radar detected the Forbidden, the Calamity and the Raider, Athrun and I took a stand and readied our guns, Kira behind us.

"Please hurry with the take off!" I said to Captain Ramius through communication. "Alright we're ready to make our move!" I looked behind and the Archangel fired their Lohengrin high in the sky, creating a direct passageway to space. We followed, hoping the other Mobile suits weren't going to be able to catch up with us.

As soon as they were close enough, Athrun began to shoot defensive beams at the trio and I stayed close to him, ready to assist him whenever he would need my support.

"What's happening with the Kusanagi?" asked Athrun.

"They're ready to take off as well! I can see they're ship heading for the take off ramp! Looks like something is holding them up!" said Kira, alarmed.

"They'll make it, don't worry!" I said, shooting in the direction of the Calamity. Fighting was getting harder because of the high altitude and keeping up with the Archangel was a task in itself. These guys shot beams and other missiles to try to stop us but when they saw the Kusanagi on the take off ramp, they seemed to have changed their target.

"Kira, they're going for the Kusanagi!" I said but the kid had predicted their moves a while ago. Athrun, Kira and I followed the pursuers and outran them, heading for the Kusanagi.

"If we grab on the ship, we'll be able to reach space with them too! I say we hold on to the Kusanagi!" said Athrun, in the lead.

The race was now settled as the trio became even more aggressive, trying to shoot the Kusanagi down. **Cagalli's in that ship! I can't afford to lose her!** I punched the Calamity off the Raider, taking Clotho and Orga by surprise. "Orga you stupid ass! You got off balanced again!" screamed Clotho, furious. Kira reached for the handle on the ship and grabbed it with difficulty. Athrun was next and it took him too long to act. **We're going to miss our ride if he doesn't get a grab on Kira's Freedom! **I sighed and knew what the right thing to do was at the moment; I had to give Athrun a push, sacrificing my only chance at touching the Kusanagi to hold on to it. With a mighty push and all the speed the Vengeance could give me, I pushed on the Justice's back, making both the Freedom and the Justice's hand to connect.

"Kim, what are you doing? _You're not going to make it_!" screamed Kira, useless. The Vengeance was lagging behind as the Kusanagi's speed increased.

"Grab my hand, Kim!" screamed Athrun, trying to reach to me, the Justice's hand extended to the maximum. I knew we would never lock and connect and I was bound to stay here, along with the Forbidden, the Calamity and the Raider. "Kim! _Don't do this_, Kim! You'll get lost out here! _Kim, __**please**__!"_ screamed Athrun, tears in his eyes.

I suddenly felt a shock behind me as the Calamity had shot down the Spike Aile pack of the Vengeance. "Arhhg! Damn it!" I screamed, turning my back, ready to meet my fate. I looked away as the Kusanagi flew higher, out of reach, deep in the Earth's atmosphere, heading for space.

"Damn, Orga! We're out of power!" screamed Clotho, his Mobile suit lagging away. "We've got to get back! We'll get her another day!" said Shani, flying away as the other two followed him. The alarm of the Vengeance was ringing loudly in my head as it fell into a free fall: I couldn't control my Mobile suit anymore!

"Come on! Come on! I've got to get to space!" The ocean was getting extremely agitated. I looked in the distance and saw Kaguya explode into a humongous cloud of fire and smoke and the shock wave hit the Vengeance like a ton of bricks and propelled me in a deadly spiral, making my senses useless. I saw the water coming and I closed my eyes. The moment the Vengeance had touched the water, I saw black...and then nothing.


	24. Phase 24

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

The only thing I knew what that my head was pounding like drums when I woke up. I expected to feel the water around me and to suffocate in my cockpit... but I wasn't. I was lying on my back, dry and alive. When I opened my eyes, I saw white walls and a table beside me. I quickly got up and didn't realize that my strength had vanished from my body. My legs trembled and I fell on my knees, tired. **Where am I? What is this place?** I got up again and slowly walked around the room, destabilized. I came to sit back on the bed again, my eyes itchy and eyelids heavy: my body was craving for a rest. The sliding door of the room opened and I saw a man, a very tall man with a long white Commander coat with long black boots and... a white mask covering his eyes and nose. He seemed familiar.

"I see you're awake, young lady... Well, maybe not totally awake... Sleepy, I might say." He said, smiling, showing his pearl white teeth. I tried to get up but I was so drained I was going to fall again. The man quickly got a hold of me and put me on the bed. "You get your sleep, now. We'll talk afterwards." I wanted to protest but I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

It felt like a long time before I finally wake up again. This time, I was revitalized from head to toe, totally free of restraints. I got up and found, on the desk beside the bed, some clothes I could put on. I inspected the uniform and gasped, letting out a scream of horror. **I'm aboard a ZAFT ship! This is a ZAFT uniform! Oh, no! This is bad, very bad! I'm in for it now! **The man who came to me earlier entered the room again, probably hearing the screech I let out.

"What's going on? Is there a problem?" I looked around and found my boots, at the end of the bed. I ran to the pair of commander boots and got out my knife, the only thing I could defend myself with now. "Where am I and why am I here?" I screamed, pointing the knife at the commander.

"I assume you know we're not part of the Earth Forces... Yes, this is a ZAFT ship, probably your worst nightmare, coming from the Archangel." He said, crossing his arms.

"What do you want from me? Where's my Mobile suit?"

"Don't worry: I don't mean no harm. About you're Mobile suit... it's in the hangar, taken care of by the best mechanics there are in the PLANTs. You've had a rough time." He said, walking towards me. I took no chance: I ran to him, swinging the knife in his direction. He evaded and blocked my attack. I slashed his chest and kicked him on the ground. "Let me out of here! Tell me how to get out of here!" The sliding door behind me opened and someone jumped on my back, strangling me.

"Commander Le Creuset, are you alright?" asked the man. **This voice... I know this voice! Where did I hear it...?** Realizing who was attacking me, I stopped squirming and let him fall on me. My hair covered my face and Le Creuset got up, laughing.

"I didn't know you had such energy, young lady. You've been trained well... You knew the situation would've got too serious for you and you stopped moving at the right time. Get off of her, now." He ordered the man. He slowly got off me and I turned around, shocked. The strands of silvery white hair blinded my sight and the man's blue eyes hypnotized me, making me unable to move. "...Yzak..." I slowly got up, stepped away from him. His eyes turned away and he clenched his fists.

"I see you guys know each other... I'll leave you to talk." Said Le Creuset, exiting the room. The doors closed and I was alone with him, once again. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him: it has been so long since I saw him. I examined his body and knew it was him for sure: his long scar crossing his face was making him even more intimidating. He kept looking at the floor, still.

"Yzak... I..." I couldn't finish my sentence. He finally met my gaze and for the first time in my life, I was certain about my feelings about him. I could see his jaw line tightening and worry in his eyes. "I... I thought you were dead." He said, taking a deep breath, anxious. I looked away from him and shook my head. "I'm not. I am here, in a ZAFT ship... with you."

We kept silence for a very long moment before he spoke again. "How come you managed to survive?" he asked: it was more of a order, but I was going to answer anyway.

"I was found with Kira Yamato, in a Reverend's garden. There reason why I'm still alive... I can't believe I'm going to say this... The reason why I'm alive is because I'm a... Coordinator." Yzak grunted in disbelief and shook his head violently. He didn't know how to react: he just stood there, emotionless. "I guess you always had doubts about... me. They were revealed to be true, Yzak. I'm... not what I thought I was. It's life, I guess." He didn't say a word: he seemed like he was made of stone. I let the tears fall down on my cheeks and sobbed. I craved for him to comfort me like he did back at the island; I missed his touch and the velvet sound of his voice chanting in my ears. I slowly walked and the walking became running in a matter of seconds. I ran to Yzak and wrapped my arms around him like I could never hold him again. I cried against his chest and he let me, without moving one muscle. I could feel his arm slowly moving to my sides, resting his hands against my waist. I rested my head against his shoulder and he let me, consenting.

"You smell the same as before..." I said to him, burying my face in his neck. His lean body pressed against mine and we locked into a long embrace that seemed to last forever. I felt like I was hurting for so long and now I was on morphine, letting the cure take all of my pain away: that cure was Yzak. He couldn't resist his emotions anymore: his arms wrapped tighter around my frame and his chest had connected his mine. He let his head rest on my head and sobbed in relief. "I'm... I didn't mean what I said... last time..." he said. I remembered those harsh words coming from his mouth_. "Go... Just go __**away**__! I never want to see you __**again**__!"_

"Let's not think about that... I am _so_ done with the past... I have to focus on the present and the future, now." He sighed and rested his forehead and silvers bangs on mine. His spicy breath intoxicated me to the core. He opened his eyes and looked at me like an obsessed man, like he would never let go of me. "You know it's going to be hard to let go... more than ever for me..." he said, his mouth slowly descending to mine.

"I know... but we'll make it through... I... think..." I whispered, closing the gap between his mouth and mine. As soon as we locked our lips, the electricity in my body reacted in a way I've never felt before. He was acting so slowly, like he actually tasted the kiss, like he was satisfying a hunger he couldn't manage for months. His attitude changed radically from shy and reserved to hungry and passionate. Even I was taken by surprise by his sudden roughness: it was Yzak after all, I should have prepared myself for that fact. His tongue demanded mine and I wasn't strong enough to resist. His hands wandered on my shirt and disappeared under it quickly. As on hand explored my belly, the other one drew me closer to him, his body heat making me melt. I let a small moan to let him know what he was doing was working very well and he listen to his instincts.

He moved his mouth to my jaw line and trailed down to my neck, where he found the magic spot. I put my hand on his back, reducing the distance between us. His hand found my right breast and he snaked it under my bra, pushing the cup aside. His index and major swirled around my nipple, making me gasp. He returned his mouth to mine and he linked our tongues together. His breathing was relaxed and masculine and mine was labored and I was beginning to get nervous: it was as far as I went with a man, except for Seth. I broke the kiss and turned my head away.

"What's... wrong?" he asked, looking right into my eyes.

"You're... making me nervous." I said, closing my eyes, flushing. He smirked and chuckled. "You should've told me I was making you uneasy. I would've made you more comfortable, don't worry..." he whispered in my ears. He grabbed my legs and pulled me in his arms, dragging me to the bed. "Yzak, what are you doing?" I asked, looking at him. "I'll make you more comfortable." Was all he said dryly but reassuringly.

He put me on my bad and unbuttoned his red Elite coat. "It's warmer now." He said, throwing it on the floor, revealing his white shirt matching with his ivory skin. He got off his boots and his belt. He hesitated for a moment but joined me on the bed, beside me. "It's been a while since... you know... I've really had anything..." I said, looking away. "If you feel comfortable telling me... who was the guy?" he asked, expecting me to not answer his question. "It was with my best friend... Seth." I said, sighing. He frowned and quickly looked at me.

"You mean he tried something on you? Like, he was your best friend! I don't understand...!" he said, confused. "It was... complicated between me and Seth." I said, shrugging. I quickly looked at him and giggled. "When was the last time you had something?" I asked. He blushed and turned away. "Don't even think about not telling me: I told you, you tell me." I said, touching his arm. After a moment of thinking, he gave up.

"It was at the academy with some lunatic. She really was crazy: she told me she could _everything _and that Dearka frequently asked for her...services. I told myself that sixteen was a good year to do it and I did, which I didn't really particularly liked. She fucking freaked me out." He stated, closing his eyes, obviously remembering. I laughed and put my hand to my face. "I can't believe you slept with _such_ a **whore**...!" I managed to say in between laughter. He nudged my arm and smiled, rolling his eyes. "Come on, she was lucky enough to have known all of the tricks." I said to myself out loud.

"_What was that_? You're crazy! My poor body never recovered from the time she gave me! I could actually hear it _plead_ her to stop biting it!" he said, flushing horribly. That was the last strand that kept me away from tears of laughter and Yzak broke it. I laughed so hard he had to put a hand on my mouth. "I hate it when a woman lowers herself to that level: it makes the man more powerful and this one can take advantage of it. Idon't wish that to any woman, even Natural, that kind of attitude." He said, reclaiming his moody self. I closed my mouth and rested my head on his shoulder.

"You're a man of kindness, Yzak." I said, placing my hand on his chest.

I tried to lower it to unbutton his pants but he quickly pushed it away. "I said don't lower yourself to that standard, Kim." I shook my head and still headed to his pants button. "You don't understand, do you?" he said, taking my wrist. I placed myself on top of him and snapped my wrist away. "Don't you trust me enough, Yzak? What the hell is _wrong_ with you?" I said, glaring at him "I'm ready to give you an _immense_ satisfaction and you're actually pushing me away?" He grabbed both of my hands and rolled over me, his eyes now filled with anger. "Can't you see that I care about you enough to not make you do this? **God damn**! It won't mean anything! I... I can't." He said, making me cry.

"What's wrong now? What's gotten into you? I just told you I cared beyond sex about you and you cry?" he asked, rubbing his head. I buried my face on the pillows and punched it as hard as I could.

"I'm ashamed! I'm sorry...! It's just... I can't remember someone saying that they cared about me..." I said, whipping the tears off my eyes. He wrapped his strong arms around me and took a deep breath.

"With me... you'll feel more cared for than anybody else in the whole wide world. Since the first time I saw you, I knew... Even though my head still remembers that cup of tea you threw at it, that you would be... special." He said, placing his hands on my hips. I closed my eyes and smiled.

"You don't know what effect you have on my mind, Yzak. You're driving me **crazy**." I said, taking his hand and sucking the top of his index finger. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Are you **fucking** oblivious to everything? Yzak, _fuck_, I want you to touch me and I want to touch you also and I'm trying _very_ hard for you to control myself but you're laying beside me and you're putting your hands on my body, _god damn it_!" I said, pushing him away. I could see him rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"You're damn annoying, woman...!" he said, unbuttoning my pants. "Yzak, I didn't say you had to do it now... What are you...?" A simple kiss could do so much to shut one up. "I feel comfortable now." I said, hugging him tightly. His breathing was slow and steady against my body and it was time for him to go back to his duties.

He got up from the bed and dressed up in his uniform again. He kept looking at me the whole time, like he wanted to remember that moment for a long time. "Where are you going?" I asked. He walked to the door and turned around to answer. "To my room, in the shower." He replied, winking. I looked at him as he left and thought to myself "**what a man... what a man he is".**


	25. Phase 25

I looked at the clock on my nightstand and it displayed 6 PM. I was bored and I had nothing to do in that crappy room. I sighed and took a chance by exiting the bedroom, alone and unsafe. I wandered in the corridors of the medium sized ship and couldn't find anything or anyone who would help. I descended to the lower levels and caught the sight of the hangar. **I wonder what they'll do when they find out I'm the pilot of the stolen Vengeance...** I took the elevator and descended to the lowest level, where the hangar was supposed to be. I stepped out as soon as I saw the doors open and walked through the boxes of supplies. **Where's my Mobile suit?** I was beginning to panic: Lacus Clyne had entrusted this nuclear-fuelled weapon and I was supposed to protect it and take care of it. What if I had lost this all-important machine? I looked around, reckless and bumped into someone. I looked up and saw Le Creuset looking straight at me like I was a mad person.

"What are you doing here, Miss? I thought you'd be sleeping." He said, wondering.

"I've had plenty of sleep. I want to know where my Mobile suit is." I stated, clearly worrying about the only thing I had left in the world.

"Of course. I... discovered that you're Mobile suit... is not very conventional... right? Of course I'm right, I can see the truth in your eyes. You're one of Lacus's friend, am I right? You're Kim Desjardins from the Archangel." He said, putting a hand on my shoulder. **My cover's blown now... **

"Don't you worry about a thing. I won't tell... It'll be our little secret..." I frowned and took a step back, on my guards.

"What the hell do you want with me?" I asked, suspicious. "Oh... I believe you are very valuable... you're the key I've been searching for years... Yes, you're just the person I need... Of course, I don't expect you to respond to the only favor I will ask out of you, but I will try anyway..." I stepped back in disgust and could feel the shivers down my spine.

"Are you a pedophile? Are you a sicko? What do you want from me?"

He smile and laughed. "What? You thought I would ask you that kind of favor? Of course not! Actually... I want you to come in space with us. We are heading to Carpentaria and from there a shuttle with bring us back to the PLANTs where you'll fill your duties towards me... After all, I saved your life..." he said.

"Are you blackmailing me? Is this some kind of shit trap you've set for me? Where are we and what the fuck do you want from me? It's the last time I'm going to ask you!" I screamed, glaring at his pale face. He smiled and lowered his head to my level. "I want you to change the world for me. You will understand when the time comes. I have my ways of persuasion: I know you know my subordinate, Mr. Joule, _very well_. If you don't want something terrible to happen to him, I suggest you smile in my presence and follow me into space." He said, handing me his long hand. **That's fucking blackmail. What do I have to lose now except for Yzak? He's the only one I can trust here... I'll fight for him.**

I took his right hand into mine and shook it. "I knew you would agree. Now, I'll bring you to your Mobile suit. Of course, I won't say a word about its origins and I assume you'll do the same. Oh, what a surprise! Yzak is here." He said, pointing at Yzak's figure in front of the Vengeance. Yzak turned around and he looked outraged, out of control with anger. "Commander Le Creuset, can I talk to Miss Desjardins for minute?" he asked, his teeth clenched. "Why, of course you can. I'll leave you two alone." Said Le Creuset, walking away, smiling slyly.

"Kim, **what the fuck**? _You're_ the woman who Lacus Clyne gave the Vengeance to! I should've known better!" he said, his eyes sending flames. I closed mine and crossed my arms. "So now you know... I'm sorry you had to learn about it this way." I said, looking up at the purple Mobile suit. "I am also sorry I'll have to protect it with my life, Yzak. You try to take it from me and... Well, you don't want to know." He violently grabbed my arm and made me look at him.

"So you're with the Archangel again?" he asked, knowing the answer. He wouldn't admit it in front of me but I could see it in his eyes he was sad I was back with Kira and his friends again.

"Yes, I am. I have found my way, Yzak, is that so wrong? I fight for what I think is right... Do you?" This seemed to have angered it more than ever and he hurt my arm so bad I yelped.

"You're a soldier, stop whining!" he exclaimed.

"You're a man, stop trying to overpower me!" I said, snapping my arm away from him.

"How do you expect me to react? I'm so angry at you! I hate you right now!" he screamed, his eyes filled with pain.

"What do you want me to say to you, Yzak? I hate you for not understanding the situation better? You should understand: you're a brilliant soldier! If only you could understand that this war is futile and useless...! If only you could see that you're fighting against the wrong things! I can't make you see... like I see it now... You need to see for yourself what the Coordinators and the Naturals have in common and what strength they could have if they would actually stopping hating each other for what the other is and isn't..."

"You're nuts! The Naturals are evil! They... They sent nuclear missiles on Junius Seven! They destroyed and it and... and..." Tears blinded his proud face and he looked away. I closed my eyes and bit my lip, understanding the reason of his sadness.

"What... your parents on Junius Seven?" I asked, ashamed. He didn't answer right away: he took the time to recompose himself and looked at the ground. "My... my father was on Junius Seven while it happened. He was on a shuttle, ready to leave when the missiles struck." He said, his hands in fists. "God damn it...!" I cursed under my breath and kicked the ground furiously. **If only I knew... If only I would've known...**

"I am truly sorry for your loss, Yzak. I... understand if you hate me for what I did to you... I would hate myself too." I said, stepping back. I turned around and walked away, my face swelling with shame and embarrassment. I whipped the tears that blinded my eyes with my shirt and cursed at myself for being so stupid in the past. **It wasn't enough that I killed my parents, I had to kill one of his! I'm so dumb and stupid, I should've died along with the thousands others who perished that day... I should've...! **My thoughts were interrupted by Yzak's arms wrapping around my body, his head resting against my back.

"Don't go." He said in between two breaths. The moment lasted forever in my head but only a few seconds had passed. He finally let go and grabbed my wrist. "Come... I'll accompany you upstairs..." he said, walking in front of me.

The walk to my room was long but seemed even longer with Yzak: it was like time itself wanted me to spend more time with him. We passed a girl with long raspberry hair and I frowned. I gasped and turned around, shocked.

"...Flay...?" I asked, almost whispering. The girl turned around to see who was calling her and her grey eyes met mine.

"...Flay, is that you?" I asked daringly. She nodded but didn't know what to say: she kept silence, dumbfounded.

"...What are you doing here?" I asked, jerking my hand out of Yzak's grasp.

"...Kim, are you... you're...!" she said, unable to make a complete sentence without her voice cracking from sobs.

"Flay!" I ran in her direction and she took a few seconds to regain her composure and do the same. When we made contact, our bodies trembled from sobs and we've hidden our faces in each other's hair. "I thought you died, back at Orb!" she said, laying her head on my shoulder. "Kim, I'm so sorry for what I did...! I should never have...!" I shut her up by cutting her off.

"I don't care about this anymore! I'm so happy you're alive! I thought you died in Alaska, when the Cyclops System had destroyed it!"

"I managed to escape with that man... Commander Le Creuset... He took me here and he's bringing me to the PLANT's... From there, I have no idea where I'm going to go." She said, obviously worried.

"Me neither... but we were part of the Archangel crew... we've got through much worst...!" She nodded and looked back. "I've got to go. I'll see you later, Kim." She said, running along other crewmembers. I rejoined with Yzak and he nudged my arm.

"What's going on between you and that girl? Do you know her?" he asked, curious. "Yeah... she was part of the Archangel's crew." I said, making him twitchy by saying the legged ship's name. I sighed and walked along with him in silence. "Why aren't you talking?" he asked, suspicious.

"Listen... when are we going to be in Carpentaria?" I asked.

"Probably tomorrow morning. Until then, I'm off duty. What do you... want to do?" he asked, his cheeks gaining a little color.

"I can't believe this! Is Yzak Joule asking me on a ship date?" I asked, giggling. "If you don't want to, then you just could've said so!" he said, storming off, his face red from embarrassment and from being laughed at.

"Come on, Yzak! I was playing around with you! Of course I want to do something with you! I'm just surprised!" I said, running behind him. I followed him in a room with a huge television. He sat on the futon, furious and opened the T.V on the national news. It was a speech of Athrun Zala's father, the Chairman of ZAFT. Yzak locked on the television, his gaze lost on the terrifying images of people, Naturals being killed in action and ships being destroyed. The Chairman's voice echoed behind the images of war that passed as a program.

"_Do not allow yourselves to be swayed by the words of Lacus Clyne! She is a traitor who established contact with the Earth Forces and sold vital information to them! Nobody prefers to fight... but think about how we got into this situation in the first place! Take a moment to remember...! Think of the oppression perpetrated by the Naturals against us Coordinators, out of envy for our developed abilities even thought it was the Naturals who created us in the first place! And yet, think or the repeated selfish, unreasonable demands made on us by the nations who sponsored the PLANTs, all because of their desire for our advanced technology! Think about that one single missile shot at Junius Seven as their answer to our rise against them! This is a war that we __**have**__ to win! Defeat will result in a future even darker than our past. We mustn't be swayed by information tainted with bad intentions. We are now a different species, different from the Naturals! Our advanced intelligence will eventually solve the many problems we currently face!"_ Yzak's face was twisted with pain and rage and mine was paralyzed with fear. **Is this what this has come down to? To eradicating one another? Is that the way we chose to find peace? It's never going to work! Not with all of this omnipresent hate and political issues concerning the way people are! It's too much a task to change the world so radically! It will bring us, all of us, down! I... I must try to put a stop to this **_**farce**_**.**

"Yzak, you're not going to believe this man's words, right?" I asked, afraid of the look he was wearing on his face.

"He's... he's speaking the truth... We are better than the Naturals... we are more intelligent and I'm sick of fighting... We're a different species..." he muttered, lost in his thoughts. I slapped the back of his head and he swiftly turned around.

"Are you out of your mind? This is _brainwashing_! On both sides they're trying to brainwash the people to fight for them while they sit there and watch! I won't let you fall in that trap you'll never be able to get out of! He's telling you how to think! Do you think _that's_ normal, sane, okay? Do you think that choosing war is better than choosing peace? This is not what you think: it's _their_ ideology, not yours!" I said, grabbing his shoulder.

"You don't know! How would you know? You lived in a killing spree facility for years! You were paid to kill whoever they orders or wanted dead! You destroyed Junius Seven with your own hands! How could you? How can you say that to me?" he screamed, pushing me away.

"Don't you understand I get it better than anybody else here? I've been through that hate and I've lived the facts, Yzak! This is why I don't want you to become the person I was: I am ashamed! I understand so much better now! I thought killing the enemy was the only way to fight a war! I thought hating the other side was the way to go but it's not! Violence is not the answer, ever! We must make decisions another way, a more peaceful and humane way! Listen to me: you _don't_ want to see the aftermath of this war! After eliminating the Earthlings, Coordinators won't have anybody to rely on anymore! They don't grow freaking trees and the ground doesn't produce metal in the PLANTs! It's all artificial! Coordinators can't afford to destroy Naturals or Earth...!"

"We can live without them! We can manage, I'm sure of it!" he said.

"No you can't! Coordinators are not as many as Naturals! Tell me: do Coordinators _order_ their children like they did back in the days? Do they produce them artificially?" I asked, wondering.

"I... We have them naturally but that doesn't..."

"Of course it matters! Today, the kids are made naturally, not artificially! What do you think will happen if Coordinators aren't made anymore? They, we will disappear with time! The only ones who will remain are our naturally born hybrids! How cruel is that? By destroying Naturals, we are destroying diversity! That will cause congenital problems and everybody will become sick and they'll be damned to even live! Do you see the big picture now? It's not about who's right and who's wrong anymore: it's about life itself. Get a grip, Yzak. War will only destroy what we worked so hard to achieve in all of mankind's history." I said, putting hands on my temples.

"...You're a Coordinator... How can you think like that?" he asked, amazed. He stood up from his seat and faced me. He knew I was born and raised as a Natural and also adopted the mentality. Some things had changed since I've learned about all of my options. I had learned to forgive myself and to trust myself again. He knew he would make me a happy woman but he also knew it wasn't the right time to do so. He sighed and shook his head, wearing a smirk on his face

"I manage to think... unlike you." I said, smiling. I closed my eyes and let myself be embraced by him, his whole body touching mine in a way only he could do so to me. I took a deep breath and buried my face in his neck, smelling the scent of a grown man, a man that smells as spicy as he smelled sweet, even though his persona was more like spice. His hands rubbed by back reassuringly and he let his nose touch my forehead.

"I don't know... where I'd be today... if it wasn't for you." He said. A man that can tell that to a woman is a real man amongst monkeys. "You're a great man by yourself, Yzak."

His hands wandered lower and reached the bottom of my back, slowly caressing my butt. "Yzak, don't you even go there." I said, pushing away his hands, making him pout. "Oh now you're acting like a baby! Come on, didn't you want to do something? I thought you were asking me on a date..." I said, taking the man by surprise.

"Yeah... I guess I wanted to do so too... But I feel like shit all of a sudden. I think I'll go for a nap..." he said, walking away to the door. **Is he ditching me?** I turned around to ask for an explanation but he cut my thoughts off.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked. I smiled and nodded softly, following him outside, leaving to his room. We slept peacefully until morning, where we would finally dock in Carpentaria.


	26. Phase 26

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

I woke up the next morning, my eyes immediately looking for the man with silver hair I had spent my night with. Even though there were no physical of sexual contact, I could still feel the warmth in Yzak's heart and in his soul. He slept besides me and rubbed my back until I fell asleep and he relaxed my body with his warm breath in my neck. I rubbed my eyes and sat and looked around: Yzak was already up and was typing on his computer.

"Good morning..." I said, yawning.

"Looks like someone slept well. You have bed head this morning." He said, his eyes still frozen on his computer screen. I touched my hair and felt the knots and the blah of the silky material. I smirked and laughed. "This is what I look like in the morning. I don't look beautiful with a clap of my hands, Yzak. Actually, a good shower will do me good, I think. Are we in ZAFT's base?" I asked.

"Yeah, we landed here at five in the morning. We can't disembark yet so you have time to... um... take care of your head." He said, smirking. I threw a pillow at him and he protected his laptop.

"It's not my fault you have perfect hair." I mumbled, getting out of bed, replacing my nightgown. I stepped towards the bathroom and opened the sliding door. I headed towards the shower and turned it on, waiting for the warm water to flow. While undressing myself, I could feel Yzak's presence behind the door, obviously waiting for something.

"What is it?" I asked. I heard him grumble something and he finally spoke up.

"Can you give me... my tooth brush?" he asked, his voice lowering with every word. I looked around and opened several drawers before finally finding his tooth brush. I took out the toothpaste and opened the door, handing him what he needed. He blushed and quickly turned around.

"Would you please cover yourself?" he asked with his arrogant voice. I flushed: I forgot to put a towel around me! I screamed and I shut the door closed, angry. "It's your fault!" I said, justifying my negligence.

"**What? **You're the one naked, you know! Jesus, Kim!" He said, his voice pitching some high notes of anger.

"Excuse me? You're the one who's perverted! _You_ knew I was going in the shower!" I said, stepping in the flowing water. Out of his mind, Yzak opened the door swiftly and I screamed again.

"Get out! What the **fuck**, _get out_!" He quickly stepped out of the bathroom, swearing. **What a **_**perverted**_** son of a bitch! It's not like I did it on purpose! **

I washed my hair and my body, lost in thoughts. What if he... didn't want me around much more? Was I the only one with these feelings? Was I the only one out of the two of us wanting to be... a couple? Was I the one to want to have someone who is always there for me, even though the times were hard? Was it normal for me to want him more than he probably wanted me? I flushed and put my hands to my face, embarrassed.

"Oh God, I can't think like that..." I slowly got out of the shower and took a towel to dry my hair. I dressed and kept the towel around my head and swiftly got out of the shower, still putting my shirt. Yzak was also dressing, buttoning his Elite vest. He seemed he had troubles aligning the buttons correctly and growled in impatience.

"Come here, I'll fix it for you." I said, trying to hide the embarrassment in my voice. "I don't need help!" he said, almost showing his teeth. I frowned and snapped his hands away from the buttons. "Let me do it, damn it..." I buttoned the vest and quickly stepped back, rubbing the towel on my hair.

"We are almost ready to disembark, I've heard. You should prepare your stuff." He said.

"I don't have stuff here, Yzak." I replied monotonous.

"Yeah... I forgot."

He tried to touch my hand but I kept it to myself and turned my back to him. "What the hell is your problem now?" he said, raising his voice.

"I don't expect you to raise your voice at me again. I don't like your tantrums at all! If you want to be with me, you'll have to change that nasty attitude! I won't accept your anger towards me anymore! Not when it's a puny thing!" I said, glaring at him. He took a step back; shocked that someone would stand up to him: after all, he was the authority, he was Elite. He looked at the ground and for the next two seconds, he nodded softly. Really, you had to notice because it was one small nod and nothing else. I wrapped my arms around him and sighed.

"I promise I won't walk around naked anymore. It makes you uncomfortable so... I won't do it again." He didn't answer.

We finally finished preparing and pact the rest of Yzak's things and he told me that the employees would eventually come to pick them later. I asked him if our Mobile suits were going to be taken care of and he replied that if he touched one of ours, he'd kill them personally. That reassured me: everyone was scared of Yzak on the ship, even the biggest bastard. We managed to get out of the ship and we crossed paths with Commander Le Creuset at the exit door. He smiled at Yzak and when his gaze fell upon me, I turned away, evading his look. Minutes later, a shuttle was ready to embark the passengers and the crew of Le Creuset's ship. Soon, I was walking besides Yzak, inside the shuttle. He was talking to Le Creuset... but it was actually Le Creuset who did the talking.

"You haven't be back home for a while, have you, Yzak? Return to your family and let them know you're okay..." said the Commander, ending the conversation.

"Yes, sir. Thank you very much." He said to his superior. Flay, which was in front of Yzak, was nervous and didn't know what to do: everyone was supposed to sit in a seat but she was paralyzed and wouldn't move. I knew Yzak was going to lose it but it was too late. "Sit down, already!" he exclaimed, making Flay gasp. I nudged his arm and he let out a cry of pain.

"Be nice! She's scared of aircrafts!" I angrily whispered to his ear. He mumbled something I didn't understand and reformulated.

"Would you sit down, _please_?" he asked, obviously mocking me. She nodded and sat next to Le Creuset, out of options.

"I swear I'll hurt you! She's my friend, idiot!" I said, sending shivers up his spine. "Come on! I wanted to sit!" he said, justifying his arrogance. "Sit down, _jerk_." I said, sitting next to him. The engine was ready to move and we quickly peaked up, aiming for space. The departure was scary, I had to admit: I never took a shuttle in my life and I was stuck on my seat because of the high gravity pressuring me in. I grabbed Yzak's arm and closed my eyes, trying to remain calm. "It's almost over. It'll be smoother in a couple of minutes." He said in whispers. His voice smoothened my anxiety and time passed slowly while I was clutching to his arm. I wanted to moment to last forever, even if the environment was shitty.

There was a broadcast shown on the small television in front of us: it was of political matter again and the lady who was speaking had striking silver hair, just like Yzak and was, as I thought, really severe looking. _"Lacus Clyne is being taken advantage of because of her hopes for peace. We understand this very well. And that's why we want to save her! We want to save her from the evil hands of the Naturals who have used her for their own purposes. What we need to save her is information and leads. I call upon those who care about her!" _I swiftly closed the television and swore under my breath. **They're looking for Lacus! They want her dead! It's treachery against peace, that's for sure. I wonder what Yzak thinks about this...** I looked at him but he seemed lost in thoughts, unavailable. **I guess he's thinking about it...**

Two hours later, we arrived at the PLANTs and were asked to disembark the shuttle. I was glad the trip was over: I hated travelling in those stupid shuttles. Yzak was following me and we exited the shuttle quickly, stepping into ZAFT's territory. Everything was unfamiliar and seemed different here. I asked an officer where the Mobile suits would be disembarked and he told me that it would be in the main hangar. I nodded and thanked the man and returned to Yzak.

"I am taking the Vengeance, Yzak. I don't want anything to happen to it."

"Nothing is going to happen to it." He replied. "Now, let's go report." He said. I was walking towards a desk when I heard people screaming farther, in a corridor. I was about to step away when Yzak grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?" he asked. "I'm just going to see what's happening. I'll be back." I said. He had to report to his superiors and I had the vague sensation that something wrong was happening. I ran to the commotion and couldn't see a thing: people were blocking the entire corridor and it was impossible to move further. I passed in between legs and skirts and finally made it to a spot where it was now possible for me to know what was happening.

"What's going on?" I asked an officer. "A traitor has been declared. We are taking him to the security and..." I stopped listening to what he was saying and caught glimpse of a man hair: it was navy blue just like... **No... it can't be!**

I escaped the mass of people and squeezed my way to the path where the prisoner was taken away. I swear I knew this guy: if I was right, then it would mean trouble for the both of us. I ran to diminish the distance between the security party and me and saw big doors leading outside. I opened the doors and saw a police van surrounded by armed men. The traitor had his back turned to me so I couldn't see his face but his hair gave away his identity.

**"Athrun!"** he turned around and gasped.

I grabbed my gun and pointed it at the man who held him. "You leave him or I'll shoot!" Other officers came out of the vehicle, armed as well. They all pointed their guns at me: I was screwed. I looked at Athrun and he kicked the first officer in the stomach sending the man next to me. I shot him in the chest and he died screaming. The other one holding him was also pushed around by Athrun Zala and I also shot him dead. The officers looked at themselves, speechless. I quickly ran to Athrun and tried to get the handcuffs off of him. I wasn't fast enough and I shot another soldier, who was about to pull the trigger on Athrun. "What are you doing here?" he asked, almost as surprised as I was.

"I'll explain later! Let's run!" One officer turned its back on his comrades and shot one of his own, running behind us. I turned in an alley and Athrun followed me: he was also followed by the officer that had protected us.

"Turn your back to me. I'm going to fire at the handcuffs!" he said, pointing his weapon at Athrun's hands. He shot the handcuffs apart and Athrun was able to move his arms again.

"You're being too reckless! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he asked to Athrun while giving him a gun. "_You_ even knocked one of our own men." He said, obviously meaning me.

"Who are you?" we asked in unison. The man smirked and got his helmet off. "I'm with the so called 'Clyne Faction'. My name is Martin DaCosta This is not at all going according to plan." I gasped: I found against him and his Captain, Andrew Waltfeld back in South Africa!

"DaCosta! I remember you!" I said.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Kim Desjardins."

"DaCosta, hurry up!" screamed one of his 'Clyne Faction' colleague. The two men turned around and continued the fight against the secret services sent by ZAFT. I looked at Athrun and frowned. "Athrun, the Vengeance is inside... along with Yzak." I said.

"Yzak's here?"

"Yeah... Le Creuset was the one who found me, nearly dead, floating in the ocean. I was embarked on a ZAFT's ship and he I am, in the PLANTs. I don't really know what to do, I don't have a plan." I said.

"I see. Well, I intend to follow this 'Clyne Faction' anyway... I don't know anything about their plan but... now I am officially a traitor to ZAFT... I can't go back to my father anymore... Kim... I am sorry for what happened at Kaguya... I should've tried harder to grab the Vengeance..." I put a hand on his shoulder and smirked.

"I was about to thank you... It wasn't your fault anyway... It was fate."

"Don't blame it on fate." He said, smiling.

"Come on, we rejoined so smile again, okay? I'll go get the Vengeance and Yzak. Maybe he'll follow us as well. I think... he's changed his mind... about his ideology." I said, hopeful. He smiled.

"I hope your right..."

"Kim Desjardins... we'll be waiting at hanger #3. Knock on the main door, we'll open it for you. Be there." Said DaCosta, pulling the trigger on an enemy.

"I'll catch you later." I said to Athrun, running along inside, entering by the door in the back of the building. When I got in, Yzak was still at the counter, inscribing details on papers. I quickly grabbed him by the arm and yanked him away from the crowd. "What the hell's your problem?" he exclaimed. "Listen and listen well. The traitor... it's Athrun. He's going to meet Lacus and I'm going with him and the 'Clyne Faction'. Are you in?" I asked, my voice in murmurs. "What? Athrun's a spy? So he joined the Archangel too after all!"

"Yes and you are invited to join too. Please, Yzak... come with me... We'll go back to the Archangel and..."

"Are you nuts? I'm going to be promoted to Commander in a couple of weeks! I... I worked so hard for this: I can't let this go by, Kim." He said, his hands on my shoulders. I nodded and turned my head the other way.

"Then I guess it's good bye... I hope you get that job, Yzak. You'd be an excellent Commander... Do not die, understand?" I said, leaving him, letting go of his hand. He looked at me run away, still holding papers. His blue eyes showed fear for once in his life. I turned my head back to the front and tried to forget the look on his face, the look that silently pleaded me to stay with him, but I couldn't. He had obligations and I had my own. I ran to the hangar where the Vengeance was supposed to be held for the time being. I opened the doors and ran on the metal floor, people staring at me.

"What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be in here, missy!" screamed an engineer, pointing. I quickly looked around and noticed the elegant purple silhouette of the Vengeance. I swiftly climbed the flight of stairs that separated the two of us and entered the cockpit swiftly, starting the machine.

"She's going to use that mobile suit! She is a friend of Athrun Zala! Stop her now!" screamed an officer, shooting at the Vengeance. I pressed on the speed pedal. The Vengeance elevated into the air, making the people around it collapse on the ground, scared. "I said get her! She's the woman who Lacus Clyne gave the secret prototype to!" screamed the officer, gathering more forces. I looked around once again and saw the open hatch of the hangar. I headed to it and seconds later, passed through it, making my way outside, still in the PLANTs. **I have to find the hangar DaCosta talked about... Hangar #3... Where would that be?** I looked everywhere but it was nowhere to be found. My word, I had to look all around this PLANT, which I did. I finally found the area of the hangar, which was at the total opposite of where I was positioned. I looked at the closed doors of the hangar and knocked as loud as I could. A couple of seconds later, the doors opened with a heavy noise and I saw what was waiting for me inside: a beautiful, pink, Nazca-class ship, which belonged to ZAFT, obviously. I panicked for a couple of minutes but decided that if I was going to be scared, it wasn't going to be today.

I approached the landing docks of the hangar and an alarm rang as soon as I stepped in. "_Purple Mobile suit! Identify yourself immediately!" _I really was screwed now: if I told them who I was, I'd be captured in the following minute. A grave voice was heard all over the hangar.

"_Officer Sykes... This is the Mobile suit I must embark... along with its pilot... Do you have a problem?"_ asked the voice with a hint of arrogance.

_"Yes, Captain... You may embark, pilot. You have the Captain's authorization." _I mentally thanked whoever spoke and sighed of relief. I was making my way in the ship when I saw Athrun and DaCosta getting out of a small aircraft: Athrun's arm was bandaged but he was fine. I was given the permission to embark and I made my way into the pink ship's hangar and I placed the Vengeance in which seemed to me a hollow spot.

When I got out of my Mobile suit, Athrun was waiting for me on the ground and I rejoined with him

"You cause quite the commotion back at the HQ. You really were lucky." He said, smirking.

"I guess I was. Okay, I am officially lost here. What are we doing here?" I asked, looking around.

"This is the Nazca class Eternal. I learned from Martin that this ship is under the care of a famous Captain, though I don't have a clue about his name. It's the 'Clyne Faction' ship, I suppose... Damn, this hangar is small compared to the Archangel's...!" he said, also looking around.

"We better get to the control room and meet the superiors of this ship. I have questions and I suppose you do as well." I said.

After finding the elevator, we pressed on the 'control room' button and we elevated. Frankly, I don't know where I was heading and with who but I knew that I had Athrun with me and I shouldn't be scared. Finally, the elevator stopped and the doors opened, letting us exit. We walked in the corridor and we soon faced the Eternal's cockpit doors. I pressed on the red button and they opened immediately, revealing a dark cockpit. **Someone's sitting in the Captain's seat!** I opened the lights and the man growled. "Who the hell opened the damn lights? I was taking a nap..." he stopped talking. I gasped and put my hands to my mouth, utterly shocked. I took a step back, along with Athrun.

"This can't be!" I exclaim, my voice cracking with the surprise. "My, you have grown, Miss Desjardins. Always fighting, I see..." The man smiled and I closed my eyes, wishing that this was not happening.

"Commander Waltfeld! I'm sorry sir, but I thought you had died in South Africa!" said Athrun. "Yeah... well that didn't happen, now did it? I wouldn't be standing right here with you..." he said, still holding a smile. I couldn't help but to stare in wonder at him: he had this long, diagonal scar on his face, a bit like Yzak's. He was holding a cane in his hand and his leg seemed to be in a bad shape.

"It's not polite to stare, Kim." Said Andrew, smirking. "I'm sorry! I forgot my manners... I'm just... shocked..." I said, explaining. "You have your reasons."

The doors behind us opened again and the two of us turned around. I gasped again and tears rolled down my cheeks: this couldn't be true! The woman's pink hair flowed gently in the air as her purple and white dress waved around her small-framed body. Lacus's blue eyes stared into mine and she quickly hugged me, taking my whole body in her arms.

"Kim...! I'm **so **glad you're safe. I've heard rumours that you were M.I.A, back at the Kaguya incident... It's fate that has brought you with me again." She said, whipping the tears on her cheeks. I smiled and just let it go, for it was Lacus Clyne holding me in her arms.

"My, Athrun too! What a surprise!" she exclaimed, also hugging him. Her pink robot rested on my shoulder and said: "Happy, let's be happy!" I looked at the annoying thing and decided that hate wasn't really going to work on something like this. I pet its head and it happily bounced around again. I understood now: we were going out of PLANTs territory and we were going to fight against ZAFT.

She sat in her seat and we stood still, behind her. The crew of the Eternal had already made its way into the control room in their assigned place.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Waltfeld." Said Lacus.

"No worries. As long as you're safe." Said Andrew, smiling. **God he does smile a lot.**

"Now, shall we get going?" he asked her. "Yes."

"Loading departure plan C, forced exit subroutine one nine two zero, online." Said the first officer, typing information into the Eternal's drive.

"Adding Ionic array, security is disengaged. All systems go!" The pilot, which I assumed was DaCosta, started the engine and we received a message from the board. _"Hey, what are you doing? Take off orders hasn't been given for your ship!"_

"_**Whatever!"**_ Said Mr. Pink. **For once you say something smart, dumb robot.**

"_What is going on? Commander Waltfeld, respond!"_ The board locked the doors and we were stuck inside.

"Those people are so clever. They should've left things as is. Now, our exit is going to be a bit rougher that I envisioned. Brace yourselves." Said Andrew, looking fowards. "Prepare to fire main cannon! Target: main gate! Fire immediately after takeoff!" Andrew looked at us and winked, positive.

"Eternal, please launch." Said Lacus, giving the pending order. The Eternal's boosters gave the needed push to the Nazca class and the ship moved onwards. _"Eternal, what are you doing? Stop this already! Alert headquarters, now!" _said the voice, the man alarmed.

"Fire!"

The Gottfried cannon completely destroyed the main gate and we were going out, the Eternal released from the hangar. I looked at Athrun and Lacus and smiled: we were going to rejoin with the Archangel and the Kusanagi, I was positive about it.


	27. Phase 27

As we passed the remaining PLANTs, several GINNs looked at the Eternal in awe, probably more shocked than amazed. The Captain, Andrew Waltfeld, was talking to one of his subordinates and I was looking at Lacus, almost staring, lost in thoughts. "Is something the matter? Kim?" she asked with her sweet voice.

"No, I'm fine... I was just wondering how you stayed alive for so long." I said.

"I had good bodyguards and a good evasion plan too. I think the people saved me: many of the citizens of the PLANTs knew where I was hiding but they kept their words to themselves. They know that people like us represent their own ideology, which means to stop the fighting definitely. I think both Naturals and Coordinators wish the military would stop fighting but people like Chairman Zala and Muruta Azrael actually enjoy the war for financial and political interests. Don't take it personally, Athrun..." she said, reassuring him that what she said wasn't meant to hurt his feelings.

"That's alright. You're saying the truth." He said.

"A Mobile suit is approaching the Eternal, Captain! What do we do? The pilot wants to establish the communication link with us." Said DaCosta, worried.

"Take his call. We have nothing to lose, now." Said Andrew. The officer next to DaCosta pressed the communication button and we could hear the too familiar voice inside the cockpit. "My name is Yzak Joule, pilot of the Duel, part of the Le Creuset team." He said. "Yzak!" I ran through the microphone and talked to the silver haired young man.

"Yzak, what are you doing here?"

"I demand permission to board this ship, the Eternal. I wish to speak to the Captain, Andrew Waltfeld." He continued. "Mr. Watlfeld! He's friend of Athrun and I! Please, let him in! He means no harm." I said, trying to convince the Desert Tiger.

"Well... Alright. I trust you, Kim. Open the hatch." He said. I looked at Athrun in amazement and Yzak entered the Eternal's hangar quickly. We waited a couple of minutes, our anxiety rising with the passing seconds. When the doors opened to reveal Yzak, I couldn't help but to look at him, my eyes bright with happiness. He was standing straight and caught glimpse of Athrun and I, behind Lacus Clyne.

"Miss Lacus!" he exclaimed, bowing.

"It's good to see you, Yzak. It's been a while." She said.

"What do you want, boy? Are you here on orders?" asked Andrew, taking this thing seriously. He didn't want anything to happen now that the Eternal had escaped the PLANTs accordingly to the plan. "I did not come here on orders: I came on my own. I wish to speak to you about... me wanting to be a part of the 'Clyne Faction'. I've thought about it and... it fits me the most right now. As we say: wear the hat that fits the head." He said, looking at me. I smiled and turned away, blushing.

"What made you change your mind? Last time we met, you were out killing Naturals on orders." Said Andrew, still unsure about him.

"Someone... Someone made me think in another way, in a way I never envisioned before. I fully understand what this implies and I'm willing to make sacrifices for the future I want." He said.

"That's the most important." Added Lacus, also smiling.

"Well, Mr. Joule, I'll have to put my faith in you. You know this will be hard and the situation we are now in is going to be messier than ever. You are aware that we are fighting against the two sides now and that you're fully prepared to face the consequences if anything happens?" continued Andrew, staring at Yzak.

"I _fully_ understand the situation, sir." He formally said.

"Then I guess we can't stop you. Welcome aboard the Eternal, Yzak Joule." I beamed at Andrew and he winked back at me. Athrun shook hands with his colleague and Yzak approached me. "What about your post as Commander? What are you going to do about this?" I asked in whispers. "Fuck the post. This is more important." He said, taking my hand. Lacus sighed and dreamily looked at us, her eyes devouring the scene. "Don't laugh but I think she's writing a love novel in her head." I said, giggling. He smirked and looked at Athrun.

"You're in a shitty shape, Athrun."

"Always glad to see you, Yzak."

The Eternal was adjusting its speed and passed from level two battle station speed to cruise. While Lacus and I were exchanging news, Yzak grabbed my arm and pulled me away. "Can I borrow Kim for a moment? I'd like to talk to her."

"You can always talk to her here, Yzak. After all, we're all a part of this now." Said Athrun, almost smiling evilly.

"I wish to speak to her **in private**, jackass." He said, glaring at the blue haired young man. Athrun smirked and looked at Lacus with a glimpse of mockery in his face. He opened the sliding doors and we went in the corridor. When he stopped, he released my hand and looked at me, I mean literally looked at me in the eyes. "Kim, I am doing this because I can't stand not being with you anymore. I thought I'd be able to forget you in between our meetings but you've taken over my entire thoughts." He said, putting a hand to my cheek.

"Yzak, what are you...?"

"Please, let me do this in case I won't be able to do it later. Listen... I thought this was just a fling, like every other time I thought I felt something towards a woman but this... _this_ is nothing like it. What there is between us... it's more than I can imagine. Do you understand what I am saying?" I nodded and was about to open my mouth. He quickly put a hand to it to shut my trap and continued. "I just wish I wasn't going to say this during a full flown out war but I guess I can't do it differently now..." He took a pause and his hand went to his pocket and he pulled out a ring. I frowned and froze. **Is he...? Nah, that can't be**_** it**_**, right?**

He took my hand and slowly slide the white golden ring in my finger, making my eyes water. It was a simple ring but it was his, ours. It didn't matter to me, not anymore. I pushed myself in his arms and he pulled me in tighter. "I give you this ring because I love you. Keep it." He said. "Oh, I almost forgot: this means were _engaged_ so don't go fuck around with someone else." He said, smirking. I laughed and put my head on his shoulder, letting his arms wrap around me again. "I won't..."

"I think we need a kiss to seal the deal, right?" he asked, his white teeth showing with a smile. I nodded silently and he grabbed my head and gently pulled it to his, our lips meeting. This wasn't his usual kiss: he didn't even try to pull his tongue. It was the last single girl's kiss. I never dreamed of getting engaged or to be in a couple with someone: this was all knew to me and I was feeling a little uneasy about it... but his kiss blew away all the doubts I had. When we broke the embrace, it was like all the love inside of me was transferred to him and he sighed in relief.

"Seriously, I'd thought you'd say no." He said, smirking.

"I would not have! I never rejected you, Yzak." He laughed and took my hand. "I also stressed about the size of the thing... I mean, you have very nice fingers but we never know..." I nudged his arm and he kissed my forehead. "Are you the guy that kisses and says mushy stuff in public, Yzak?" I asked. "Are you out of your mind? I almost fainted earlier and no one's here." He said, smirking. **That's what I thought. **"Yzak, I have to say I'm very happy but very confused. I mean, we don't even know each other that well..." He laughed and looked at me. "We have all of our lives to know each other." He replied. **True...**

"Also... I never met your mother! How is she going to react?" I asked him.

"Oh, you've seen her... You remember, on the shuttle, that woman who gave a speech about Lacus... That **was** my mother. I didn't think the resemblance was that obvious but when I saw her on that television screen..." he mumbled.

"_That's_ your mother? Holy crap, you could've told me!"

"I wanted to keep it a secret... I'm not too fond of her lately..." was all he said.

When we returned to the control room, the atmosphere was sour again: Athrun's fists were clenched and Lacus had that worried expression in her eyes. Andrew Waltfeld was barking orders to his officers, making the tension grow in the cockpit. I looked at Yzak and seemed seem to have understood faster than I did, probably because he and Athrun knew the actual defensive state of the PLANTs: they both knew the Eternal was given chase to and it wasn't to pat our back but to eliminate us.

"What's going on here, Yzak?" I asked.

"It's the Jachin Due's defensive troops that are here to stop us.

"This ship has only two Mobile suits and both are stolen from their respective alliance. This is not good." Said Athrun, looking at Lacus and I.

"... This ship will be used exclusively for the Justice, the Freedom and the Vengeance." Said Andrew.

"Open all channels for outgoing communication." Ordered Lacus, taking Andrew by surprise. "Okay... Roger." Andrew ordered his officer to do as Lacus Clyne wished and it happened. "My name is Lacus Clyne. Although I have become enemies with Chairman Zala, because we hope for different futures, I do not intend to fight against you. Please let our ship go! Also I ask each one of you to think about what we should be really fighting against. The GINNs heading towards the Eternal weren't ready to stop and continued onwards.

I looked at Yzak and he knew what I meant: this might turn into another full blown out battle and that we risked our lives to fight against ZAFT.

"It won't be easy for them to change their beliefs so quickly... Commence counterattack!" ordered Andrew, his voice serious now. Helldarts coming from every side of the ship departed in the direction of the attackers, which were the Jashin Due troops. Pinks flashes of light blinded us from the cockpit and Lacus mentioned that we should avoid hitting the enemy's Mobile suits' cockpits to try to preserve their lives.

"That won't be easy. Main cannon: Fire!" ordered Waltfeld. We could see on the monitor several red dots moving towards us: the enemy was coming on very fast. "Here they come! Anti-air!

"Let's go, Yzak! We have to get out!"

"Yes!"

We both ran to the elevator and pressed several times on the hangar level button. We slowly descended and the Eternal was heavily shook around by the attacks sent on it. "Damn it! Can that thing go any slower?" he exclaimed, his patience wearing out. When the doors opened again, we practically jumped outside and rushed to the hangar, where our Mobiles suits had been aligned for departure. "I'm heading out first, Yzak." I quickly climbed the metal staircase leading to the Vengeance's cockpit and opened it immediately. I started the engine fast and was ready to move out. _"Systems all green! You can go out, Kim!" _said Lacus through the speakers. I was placed on the moving platform and transported to the hatch. "Kim Desjardins, Vengeance, taking off!" The Vengeance was catapulted outside, where the fighting really began.

Minutes later, it was the Duel who was ejected from the hatch, also taken aback by the sudden roughness of the area. I indicated him to follow me and he did, surprisingly. I took out my laser sword and slashed a GINN that was coming towards us, sending its pilot deep into space. Yzak's Duel was also equipped with laser sword but he took out his sniper rifle instead, his Mobile suits built for guns assaults. He sent Hell darts towards two other GINNs and they exploded with dark flames. I slashed a couple of GINNs but wondered when the sudden rain of enemies was going to stop.

"There are too many of them. With two opposing Mobile suits, we're never going to eliminate them all, Yzak."

"I know, damn it! But we have to try!" he said, punching a GINN out of his way. I looked around and decided that it was time for me to go and protect the Eternal's cockpit: valuable friends were inside and I didn't like losing them in one streak today. I flew to the front side of the pink ship and began another round of assault against the enemy's GINNs, sending them one by one into destruction. After a dozen, they still sent out more to fight and I was beginning to lose my patience. "What the hell are they doing? When are they going to stop?" Yzak was working out a sweat too: he was handling three GINNs at the same time. I took out a rifle out of my pack and shot the cockpit of the first GINN that was after him. He took care of the other two and rejoined with me.

"These were mine, Kim."

"You were having trouble handling the other one: I helped you."

"I don't take a habit of people helping me on the battlefield." He continued.

"Fine, I won't lend you a hand when you need help, that is all." I merely talked for a few seconds and a sneaky pastard shot a deviating beam towards the Eternal. I was going to be too late: I took out my shield but the beam passed by too fast and time stopped inside my cockpit. I had been foolish enough to be distracted for just a mere moment and now I could kiss the Eternal goodbye.

"**No!"**

Everything seemed to have slowed and a beam coming from high above destroyed the missile heading for the cockpit of the Songstress's ship. I looked around but didn't see anything that resembled an ally's Mobile suit. Suddenly, the fast lights of the Freedom made surface before my eyes, passing the Vengeance. It stopped in front of me and the pilot waved hello. "Kira! It's you!" He indicated Yzak and I to follow him and we did, tailing the Freedom deeper in the fight. **Kira is here! That means the Archangel must not be too far away! **With Kira's aid, we were able to push off, meter by meter, the ZAFT defence's line. Yzak covered my back with his multiple guns while I took my other laser sword, fused it with the first one to create a blade. I was exhausted but I kept on going, knowing this fight would determine the sake of the Eternal.

Finally, the Jachin Due, to form a new plan of attack, regrouped and exited the area where the Eternal and we were. I took a deep breath and looked in the direction of the Freedom and this on headed towards me, one of his hand taking the Vengeance's. "Kim, I am so relieved you're saved. I thought... I thought I had lost you at Kaguya... forever." He said, his voice cracking with sobs.

"Who do you think I am, Kira? I wouldn't have died like this, not when I knew that I would finally help ending this war. I won't die here, I promise." I said, trying to calm the nervous boy. "Also, if it hasn't been for Yzak's crew, I would've been found dead. If ZAFT hadn't came to my rescue... I prefer not knowing what would've happened... I would have probably ended up in the Earth Forces grip and I would've been killed." I said, looking at the Duel. It turned his head away and headed back in the Eternal, silent. I frowned and grabbed the Freedom hand again. "What are you going to do now, Kira? Where are the Archangel and the Kusanagi?" I asked him.

"They are hidden at Mendel's space colony. We are waiting for you there. You go in the Eternal, I will protect the ship." He said, pushing me away. "Alright, I'll see you there." I flew near the pink ship's hatch and it pulled in the Vengeance with electric cords and wires. I stayed in my Mobile suit, just in case another assault was declared on the Eternal and took a nap, a well deserved rest. **I am so glad they're all safe...**

When I woke up, the Eternal was already placed on a platform, at Mendel's colony. I rubbed my eyes and opened the cockpit to descend to the hangar's floor. I descended the stairs and looked around. Yzak was sitting on the floor, next to the Duel, sound asleep. **Maybe I should go and wake him up...** I walked towards him and when I reached his shoulder, his eyes snapped open. "Kim, I am not sleeping." He said, his voice harsh with whatever emotion he was feeling right now. "Okay Mr. Nice attitude. I just wanted to see if you were alright." I said, walking away. "W-Where are you going?" he asked, getting up.

"_Hello!_ I am going outside this stupid hangar! I want to see my friends! You can come too: Dearka's on the Archangel." I said. "He's on the _what?_ How come he's there? I thought _he'd_ be in the PLANTs!" I smirked and turned around to face him. "He joined us after the fight, back at Onogoro. I'm sure he'd be glad to know you're alive." I said, continuing on my path. "W-Wait for me!" he said, running behind. **Bingo, I knew you'd fall right in.** I descended from the hangar and followed the metal bridge that led to the base. Yzak followed from behind, his eyes looking up. "This is _one_ huge base." He said, his voice echoing.

"I know. They chose the perfect spot, didn't they? I knew Captain Ramius would think of something useful." I could see in the distance a crowd forming on the ground level of the base. I looked down and saw Murrue and Andrew, finally talking to each other: last time they spoke, it was back at ZAFT's territory, in South Africa. Cagalli, Kira and Athrun were also down, talking. My heart skipped a beat and I ran, Yzak swearing his head off behind me. "What's up with you, damn it? **Cagalli! She's alive!** I descended the metal stairs quickly, jumping them four by four. When I reached the ground level, I saw Cagalli's face turning to face me. Her eyes widen and she screamed, her voice hitting a very high note. _"Kim!" _She ran to me and our bodies met in a hug in a matter of seconds. "Cagalli, I thought you died in Kaguya! I am so glad you're alive!" Her arms were now wrapped very tightly around me and she started crying, her sobs filling the air. "When Athrun told me he hasn't been able to reach you in time, my heart broke into millions of pieces! I was so angry at him, Kim!" I rubbed her back and she unwrapped her arms. "Don't be anymore. Anyway, it wasn't his fault, really: my timing was bad on this one."

I heard Yzak's laboured breath behind as he finally reached to us. We walked to the crowd and Kira was smiling at me, his eyes filled with happiness. Dearka on the other hand was surprised to see Yzak walking towards him. "Dude, what the fuck are _you_ doing here? I thought you'd be with Le Creuset!" Yzak smirked and looked at me. "My plans changed." Was all he said to his comrade. Captain Murrue Ramius turned around and beamed at me. "Kim! I thought...! I thought I'd lost you!" she said, running towards me. I froze as she embraced me, hugging me. I sighed and she let go, her eyes teary. "I am very proud of you, Commander Desjardins." She said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Thank you, Captain. Oh! I almost forgot." I grabbed Yzak's arm and pulled him in the conversation. "This is Yzak Joule, my... comrade. He's here to join the forces too." I said. Murrue gasped and recognized his face and his Mobile suit. "He's the pilot of the Duel!" she exclaimed.

"My name is Yzak Joule and yes I am the pilot of the Duel. Though we have fought countless of times, Captain, I'm sure I can be of help here... I... I have found my reason why I fight in this war and I think we share the same idea on what the future should be like." He said, presenting his hand to her. She hesitated for a moment and looked at me. I touched his arm and smiled, nodding. She smiled in return and shook his hand. "You're right. Welcome in the Archangel's crew, Yzak." She said, winking at me.


	28. Phase 28

Everyone had gathered in the Archangel's control room for a briefing and I stayed with Cagalli for the time being. She was stressed and she had explained that her father had died during the explosion of the Kaguya facility. "I am so sorry, Cagalli. I am here for you: you're my best friend."

"Thanks, Kim... But there is something I wish to say to you. You should sit down: you'll need it." I sat next to her, on a seat inside the Archangel's waiting room and took out an old picture of her red vest's pocket. It was a mother, in a hospital room, with two babies in her arms: one with brown hair and one with dirty blond hair. "That's a nice picture... what is it, exactly?" I asked, curious.

"This... This is my biological mother, Kim. My father... he wasn't my real father. He adopted me when I was about one year old. This picture... It represents my birth, along with my brother's."

"You have a brother? Do you know him?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah... he's been very close to me lately..." she said, leading on.

"Is this your twin bother? What's his name?" I asked, smiling, looking at the picture.

"This is where it gets weird: you see, this baby is now of our age and... his name is _Kira Yamato_." I froze for the shortest moment and looked at her with round eyes. I screamed and immediately put my hands to my mouth. "No fucking way!" I exclaimed, dumbfounded. "Yeah, I know it's bizarre but you see... he's my twin... but he's a Coordinator and I am a Natural... does that even make sense?" she asked. I couldn't answer her question: I was still in shock with the whole Kira-is-my-brother revelation. I took several deep breaths and shook my head in disbelief.

"This is absolutely..."

"_Fucked up_, I know. I don't know what to think anymore." Said continued.

I stayed silent for a moment and I could feel Cagalli's gaze upon me, like she was staring or something. I didn't immediately looked at her, I just wanted to make sure I was the only she was focusing her attention on... and my doubts turned to be true. "Is there a problem, Cagalli?"

"Of course there is! Where the hell does that ring come from?" she asked, taking my hand hostage. She touched my hand and then touched the ring, her eyes round as baseballs. "Can you stop yelling...?" I asked, my voice lowering.

"No way in hell, Kim! You're _engaged_! When did you do it and... with who?" she asked, confused. "Would you lower your voice? Everyone's going to hear!" I said, nudging her arm. "Come on, tell me... who's the lucky man?" she asked, her voice regaining its normal tonality.

"If I tell you, you'll scream." I said.

"Don't tell me it's Kira, I'll shoot you!" she said, slapping her forehead.

"Are you **sick**? He's like my brother too! No, it's not him."

"Is it... Athrun?" she asked, her voice cracking under the pressure.

"No, I wouldn't touch your precious little blue haired Coordinator, Cagalli."

"Hey! What do you mean?" she said, getting up, her face in a frown.

"Come on, Cagalli! Everybody knows, by the way you look at him, that you actually like him! It's so obvious even Kira has noticed it and the guy is completely oblivious concerning Lacus! You have to be shitting me." I said, mumbling. She looked at me and flushed, her pink cheeks now red. "Don't tell anyone." She concluded. "I won't, trust me." I said, smiling.

"Anyway, are you ever going to tell me?" she asked, getting impatient. I sighed and looked outside the window, where we had a view of the colony's hangar. Yzak was talking with Dearka, his slender back leaning on the foot of the Duel. I sighed and lost my way in my thoughts. Cagalli, confused, looked at my focus point. She gasped and shook her head. "_I can't believe this_! You're not serious, are you?" she asked, speechless. "I am. He's the one, I guess." I said, looking at the ring Yzak put around my finger.

"Yzak Joule, the man you encountered and almost killed several times is now your fiancé? I'm sorry, but you, girl, are crazy. He's a jerk! He's just a... Ah, never mind. _You're_ stuck with him, now." She said, crossing her arms. I turned around and frowned. "What the hell's your problem? You _don't _**have** to like him!" I said, also crossing my arms.

"Out of _anyone_ you encountered in your life, you chose him. I mean, didn't he want you dead, at one point? He tried to kill you! Can you tell me why you love him?" she asked. "I... I don't have to justify myself, Cagalli. It's none of your business." I said. "Come on, Kim! Don't be crossed with me! I'm just trying to understand here: the guy proposed to you and you don't even know him! You both tried to kill each other and now you're supposed to get married? How can this work? Out of anyone..." she mumbled.

"Who do you think I would've chosen, Cagalli? Who do you think I love? **Seth is dead**! Stop thinking that we belonged together! I didn't love him the way he loved me and that would've been unfair to him! He's _dead!_ How do you think I would've managed if he proposed to me and I said 'yes'? He'd be dead still and I would've been even more crushed than I actually am over his departure from this life! You don't understand... Yzak... _he's_ the reason why I fight now... He's _my_ reason now..."

"Then _tell me_: will he make you happy? Will he be available to you, once he gets a higher rank in the military? Will he be a good, affectionate and caring father to your children? Will he be there when you need him the most and will he take care of you when you're sick?"

"You're asking questions that I can't answer. I don't know if he'll be available when he gets a better job, I don't know if he'll be a good father but I can tell you one thing: Yzak is a man of word and he promised me that he'd be there for me whenever I needed him. That's enough for me... for now. That is what I need."

She stayed silent and looked through the window and I felt she was observing thoroughly Yzak, eyeing him head to toe, trying to figure out my reasons. She finally sighed and came back to sit next to me. We stayed silent for a long moment, stubborn as donkeys. She glanced at me a couple of times but I stayed focus on what I was staring at, not even bothering to look at her. She sighed heavily and turned to me. "Kim, are you pissed?" she asked. I smirked and the curve in my lips grew bigger. "No, I'm not. I am not angry, merely taken aback by your attitude." I said, getting up.

"Alright, I'm sorry: I should've kept my thoughts to myself. I... I guess... you can feel something in this guy that I can't. I understand and I won't say a thing about him from now on." I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to me.

"Thank you, Cagalli."

She snapped and gasped. "I forgot I had to meet Athrun at the deck! He must be waiting for me! I'll catch you later, Kim!" she said, running towards the elevator, the sliding doors closing behind her. **Go get him, tiger.** I walked around the Archangel again, like the good old times. The Vengeance was left on the Eternal for the convenience of the ship and the Freedom and the Justice would be stored there too, while the Buster and the Duel would be placed on the Archangel. I mulled over my thoughts and took a deep breath. **I bet Yzak is feeling safer here than in the PLANTs... I know he'll be happier here, along with all of his friends, than on the Vesalius ship... ordered around like a dog... I just hope he did what was best for him...**

I stepped in the elevator and descended to the hangar level. I took a moment to relax and the doors opened after a couple of seconds. I stepped out and walked towards the Mobile suits, their big metal bodies shining with the lights. I sat on an improvised seat and took a moment to rest my eyes, closing them, closing myself to the world around me. It was silent in the hangar and even thought we had two Mobile suits aboard, the engineers were given time to rest too. I heard footsteps behind me but didn't bother to turn around and open my eyes. I thought it would be Cagalli coming to tell me how her meeting with Athrun went but when I opened my eyes, I saw Kira's grey eyes looking straight at me.

"You look dead tired, Kim. Why don't you go to the dorms to get a little sleep?" he asked, showing his concern.

"I thought this was the most peaceful place in the ship. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be... with Lacus?" I asked while his cheeks flushed.

"Well... Yes, but I preferred to check on you. I was wondering how you were managing all of this stress." He asked, taking a seat next to me. "I guess I take it pretty well. I am a soldier, a warrior _and_ a Coordinator, right? I can take this." He rubbed my back and I smiled. "Why are you so kind to me, Kira?" I asked. He seemed confused but quickly answered: "Because you are my friend and that's what friend's do. We are kind to each other and take care of each other. You've been both to me, I think and I want to return the favor." I smirked and continued.

"Sometimes I wonder what the world would be like if no Coordinators were amongst the human civilization." I said.

"Well, that's a question we can't really answer unless we go back in the past. I think the world would be worst, in my opinion. What is better: people from different races fighting each other or people of the same race fighting each other?" he said, looking at me.

"So you believe Coordinators are a race?" I asked, frowning.

"Yes and no. I think so because they are so different compared to Naturals but no because we have the same body and the same resources. You understand? It's not the outside that separates us: it's the inside that is different."

"Then... it means this war is illogical! If there are not so many differences, why do we keep fighting? The logic of this conflict is completely stupid! Just because the Coordinators have superior logic, the Naturals are willing to destroy them? What about the Coordinators? They're willing to destroy Naturals only because they are a nuisance, an inferior power! God, why did we let this happen?" I said, smashing my fist on my thigh.

"Maybe because the human is blind to those things unless it becomes inevitably apparent. Do you know if someone hates you, Kim?" he asked.

"No, why?"

"Because you can't see hate. But when it materializes and the person does something to you proving he or she hates you, now you can guess the answer but only when it is said or demonstrated explicitly. You understand how the human's brain is complex? The very soul of the human is unreachable and cannot be put in a bottle for analysis. The mind of man is way too complicated and is almost unnatural. That is why we can't perceive things like war: it's created by our minds and its intangible."

"You _are_ a nerd, Kira." I said, smiling at him.

"Ugh..." was all he managed to say, smirking.

The alarm suddenly rang in our ears, sending shivers up my spine. Kira and I sprung from our seats and Captain Ramius's voice echoed all over the colony. "_All hands to level one battle stations! I repeat: all hands to level one battle stations!" _Kira and I nodded and ran to the Eternal from a bridge to another. When we reached the hangar, we immediately ran to our respective Mobile suits, Athrun being already there. I climbed the metal staircase two-by-two and opened the cockpit of the Vengeance, jumping right in. I started the engine and I was placed on the second platform, waiting for expulsion. Athrun's Justice was already in the hatch, prepared to take flight. His permission was given and he was ejected as fast as a bullet. I was next and I prepared the Vengeance for takeoff. _"Systems all green! You can go, Kim!"_ said Lacus, her timid voice now strong and ready.

"Kim Desjardins, Vengeance, taking off!"

Since the Eternal wasn't ready to take off yet, it was the Archangel who accompanied us outside; I could finally see, with open eyes, the splendor of that white-legged ship: it was a Mobile fortress, built to withstand any damage. Kira soon followed Athrun and I and we flew as a trio, next to the Archangel. I looked in the distance and saw, what looked like it but I dismissed the idea, what looked like a warship... with the exact same proportions as the Archangel.

"I must be crazy... I must be seeing things..." I said.

"I guess we're seeing the same mirage as well." Said Athrun, followed by a similar response from Kira. "Where are Yzak and Dearka?" I asked. "They are still aboard the Archangel, waiting for takeoff. They were put on the wait list because we didn't want to cause unnecessary damage to our available Mobile suits." Said Athrun, staying in the back of the trio. Miriallia's voice echoes in our cockpit as she called to warn us. "Mobile suits have taken off from this ship, the Dominion. We will send out the Duel and the Buster to protect the Archangel. You guys take care of those Alliance's Mobile suits!" she said.

"Roger!" we said in unison. I took out my laser blades and put the Spike Aile pack in smooth-mode, permitting the Vengeance to fly more aerodynamically.

"Athrun, Kim, it's those three!

"Yeah and I'm ready for them." I said, locking the blades in the Vengeance's hands.

"I've received word that the Kusanagi is heading out to support the Archangel." Said Athrun, still behind Kira and I.

"Here they come!" screamed Kira, pressing on his speed lever, the Freedom flying in a swift blue light. I also pressed on the pedal, making the Vengeance cut through space like a hot knife in butter. Athrun was keeping the same pace but backed us up. "Watch it, Kim!" I immediately ducked and avoided a beam shot in my direction, coming from the Forbidden. "I thought this one had sunk!" screamed Clotho, harnessing his full fury on the Vengeance. I looked at my right and Kira was already in the assault, evading shots from the Raider and Athrun was taking on the Calamity.

The green Mobile suit was trying to slice the Vengeance apart with its scythe and I punched its cockpit, making the pilot, Shani, lose its balance. "Why you...?" I looked around and gasped: the Kusanagi was wrapped in some kind of cable-lie object, obliging this ship to be immobilized.

"The Kusanagi!" I flew away from Shani and the Forbidden and slashed through the air, aiming at the Kusanagi, who seemed to be in a very deep whole lot of trouble. I understood now how the Kusanagi got tangled up in the wires: it was hanging from heavy floating debris, grabbing to anything that passed its way. The hand of the Vengeance got wrapped in those cables and I swore, trying to jam free from that trap. Shani passed me and aimed its rifle at the Kusanagi, ready to blow it apart. I cut the wire with my blade and flew to him, stomping the Forbidden from its back. "Don't you dare touch that ship, you bastard!"

I threw my laser in the direction of the Forbidden and it slashed through its think armor, making the pilot furious. "Damn you! How come you can land a hit and I can't?" He swung his scythe in my direction but I pushed it away with my shield, making the Forbidden tremble from the impact. The Forbidden stood still for a moment but quickly flew back to the Dominion, his sudden escape catching my attention. I helped the M-1 pilot to cut the wires that kept the Kusanagi immobilized and flew back to the battlefield, feeling that something bad was going to happen. My instincts were right on the spot once again: Kira and the Freedom had been ambushed by the legged ship Dominion, sending Kira flying in every direction.

"Kira! Athrun, help him!" But Athrun was already pretty busy with the Calamity, this one giving the blue haired Coordinator a hard time. "Kira, I'm coming!" I pressed the speed pedal to the ground and directed the Vengeance towards the assaulted Freedom and shot multiple beams towards his attackers, the Raider and the Forbidden, making them stop their double-strike on Kira for the briefest moment. I glanced at the Archangel, this one severely hammered. "Kim! Get to Kira! Now!" screamed Murrue through the speaker. I took out my laser blades once again and let the Vengeance's light speed take me to my friend: in a matter of second, the Raider had noticed my incoming presence and alerted Shani.

The Dominion had already sent Sledgehammers towards the Vengeance and until the last moment, Kira hasn't turned around, the Freedom still having its back turned on the incoming missiles. When he finally realized what was happening, he turned the Freedom around his body froze in time, his eyes widening as the darts dangerously approached his cockpit. "KIRA!"


	29. Phase 29

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

I closed my eyes and whimpered like a child, not wanting to see the end of Kira Yamato. After a couple of seconds, I decided to open my eyes again and figured the nuclear explosion that the Freedom had created while exploding had directly sent me to the dead. When I realized I could still see, feel and smell, I looked around and touched my commands, checking if the Vengeance was in shape. I shook my head and looked in the front, the Freedom still moving to evade beams shot at him. **The Seed... it had protected him! **Kira, who was still alive, wasn't out of the woods just yet: the Raider, taking advantage of his state of shock, sent his spike ball towards him, hitting him in the back, the Freedom Aile pack almost ripped off the Mobile suit. The Calamity has took advantage of the situation and tried to land a hit on the white and blue nuclear Mobile suit.

"That's it! My patience is wearing out! You pay!" The Vengeance responded to my sudden rush of adrenaline and I slashed through the spike ball of the Raider, taking his pilot Clotho by surprise. "What the fuck, bitch? Oh, I'll get you!" But my target wasn't the black Mobile suit: it was the Calamity, who was aiming his deadly beams at my weary friend. "Hands off, bastard!" I grabbed the Calamity from the back and slashed, with my laser sword, his first Gottfried cannon. "Make the wench pay!" screamed Orga, talking to the pilot of the Forbidden, Shani. "I'm already fighting with the other douche! Can't you fight a girl, Orga?" he asked, tempting his colleague into rage.

"I _can_, shut the** fuck** up! She's _crazy!_ How do you want me to capture her stupid Mobile suit if she won't stop landing hits?"

I didn't want to spend too much time on screwing the Calamity up but I was so sick and disgusted by these freaks that I couldn't help slashing, tiny pieces by tiny pieces its equipment. "Kim, Athrun, Kira! We're coming to get you! Gottfried one and two, _fire_!" Cagalli's voice echoed in our Mobile suits and I saw, from the corner of my eye the Kusanagi, preparing to shoot. The beams were aimed directly at the Dominion, this one evading with difficulty. The Dominion had quickly stopped its operations and seconds later, it sent out signal flares.

"Kira! Athrun! They're retreating!" I said while pushing away the almost completely destroyed Calamity. The aqua Mobile escaped my grasp and flew away, back to the Dominion, alongside its fallen comrades.

Kira, Athrun and I took a long moment to relax and to let our bodies take a small break from all of the stress of the battle. My eyes were itchy with exhaustion and I could feel my teammates doing the same.

"Kim, Kira." said Athrun, the Justice approaching the Freedom and the Justice.

"Athrun, are you okay?" asked Kira, his voice now calm and steady.

"Yeah... but those three pilots are _really_...!"

"Yeah, I felt the same way in Orb, when we last fought them..." continued Kira.

"It's hard to believe they're regular military..." I said, thinking out loud.

"That too but there is something else... I _don't_ think those three are Naturals."

While the Archangel and the Kusanagi made their way back inside the colony's hangar, Kira, Athrun and I stayed vigilant, alert to anything that seemed suspect in the area. Since the assault on the Dominion, we were asked to survey the Archangel more than ever. Kira mentioned that Commander La Flaga and Dearka weren't inside the Archangel and Athrun stayed silent, probably wondering what was happening to them. **Where are they? They should be here...**

"Kim, it's me; Cagalli! Commander La Flaga, Dearka and Yzak are inside the depth of the Mendel colony! We've received signals from them saying that they shouldn't be too long but it's been quite a while now and Captain Ramius is getting worried... Think you can pay a visit deeper in the colony? Along with Kira and Athrun?" she asked. I transmitted the message to my fellow pilots and Kira spoke for the both of them. "Kim and I will go find them." He said.

"Nothing's wrong with the Justice. I'll go as well." replied Athrun.

"No. I think the Dominion hasn't made a complete retreat just yet. You better stay here for now, Athrun."

"You sure...?" asked Athrun, a little doubt in his voice.

"Yeah, we'll take care of this. Who knows what happened? They might just be trapped somewhere: you know the Commander. Always so pushy and curious..." I replied, giggling.

"We'll stay out of trouble... unlike them. We'll be back, don't worry!" said Kira, flying past me, heading deeper into the space colony. I waved Athrun later and followed the pilot of the Freedom, flying behind him. Automatic gates opened as we passed the several check points we were supposed to reach. It wasn't really conventional for a space colony to have constructed their base on an orbital asteroid: when the perimeter of the hangar had elapsed, the only material left now what a red rock that covered the entire exterior of the colony. I followed Kira in silence, thinking that the young man would probably need concentration. **I wonder what Yzak is doing inside the depth of the colony... What could there be if he went, of all people?**

In the distance, we perceived the Buster, floating in space, immobile. He seemed to be paralyzed, like he couldn't move anymore. "Dearka, what's wrong?" I asked, establishing communication with the blond haired Coordinator. "I... I... look!" was all he could say, pointing the with the Buster's index in the opposite direction. My eyes caught sight of what was happening and I gasped: Yzak was fighting against a new GINN model of the ZAFT forces along with Commander La Flaga: this one was in way deeper shit than his fellow Coordinator colleague.

"Commander! Get out of there!" screamed Kira, stopping Mu in his blaze.

"What? You're speaking nonsense!" he replied, angry.

"Please Mu... it's the Captain... she's worried." Said Kira, immobilizing the Strike. Commander La Flaga sighed and quickly rejoined with us, trying to bring Yzak along with him. "Come on, Kid! This guy... you don't know what he's capable of!" he said but Yzak's harsh words shook the Commander away.

"I perfectly know what he's capable of! I was part of his team! _I_ know what _I'm_ capable of! Let me do this!"

Yzak was now fighting to the death with Le Creuset and I couldn't do a thing: I knew that if I stopped him, he would surely never talk to me again and if I intervened, he would lose total confidence in me. **What do I do now? I know Yzak's not in position to win this fight! He's lost half of his equipment already and his moves are getting dull and slow! If only...**

Suddenly, against all expectation, Le Creuset, who was being pushed back by the Duel took his free hand and punched the cockpit, sending Yzak into darkness. The ZAFT Commander took out a laser blade and time elapsed so slowly that I could see my fiancé's death, how horrible and tragic it would be. I closed my eyes and tried to feel angry because it was Yzak's choice but something inside of me was ready to snap, like the glass keeping my mind in control was going to break anytime now.

"This is for you, you filthy traitor!" screamed Le Creuset, heading his blade towards the Duel's cockpit, Yzak totally unaware of what was going to happen. I growled and I couldn't control my thoughts, my body or my brain anymore: it was all left behind, the Vengeance slicing through the air like a bullet.

"_Don't you touch him!"_ I took out my laser blade and pressed the speed pedal to the floor, the Vengeance reaching his speed limit in a matter of milliseconds. I slashed the legs of the GINN apart and cut through both of its arms, making this Mobile suit unusable now. I punched the GINN on the ground and returned to catch the free falling Duel and its pilot. Kira, Dearka and Mu descended to rejoin. **"I'll kill you! You dared to touch him! Now you pay!"**

I ran my blade through the cockpit and let the machine explode into a pink cloud of smoke. I took a couple of seconds before noticing that the cockpit of the GINN was intact and that the sneaky bastard was running free again, like he was taunting me deeper in the colony. I unstrapped myself out of my seat and opened my cockpit, looking around. Yzak's Mobile suit was taken care of by Dearka and he made the "go after this bastard!" hand gesture. I looked at Le Creuset and he had taken his fury to Mu La Flaga, shooting the man that was coming out of the Strike's cockpit. Kira landed last and also got out of his cockpit. I jumped down and ran to the Commander, who had noticed my presence.

I grabbed the gun hanging on my leg and sprinted towards the Rau, who was running towards another facility. "Kim, don't follow this creep!" screamed Mu but I didn't listen to him. My gun was loaded and so was my anger. I knew Dearka would take great care of Yzak so I pushed away the thoughts of death in my head and replaced them with revenge. "Kim! Stop!" **Shut the fuck up.**

"How about we do it today? Let's end this!" screamed Le Creuset, shooting in my direction. The bullet hit my arm and I growled in pain. I quickly ripped off a bit of my shirt and wrapped it around my wound to stop the blood from floating out of my body. "Come with me! I, myself, will deliver your requiem!" he continued, running to the base's gates. "Damn it!" I resumed my run and kept a distance between this man and myself.

When I entered the colony's base, I could hear gunshots and hysterical laughter. **This man is completely wild!** I kneeled and took a defensive stance, keeping my instincts alerted and my gun ready to blow Le Creuset's head. "Do you have any idea what this place is, Kim?

"Why would she, psycho?" screamed Mu, appearing behind me, shooting a bullet in the air. The screech of the gunfire was intense and almost ripped my eardrum apart. In response to his aggression, Rau shot multiples shots in our direction again, Mu and I hiding behind a wall. I could hear, through the echo, Le Creuset's steps across the enormous room. Mu passed me and I followed him, holding my gun in front of me.

"It's such a crime for you not to know!" continued Le Creuset in his delirium.

"Hey, Mu!" Kira's voice echoed in the dark, sending shivers down our spine.

Footsteps dangerously approached us and I placed myself in front of La Flaga, this one obviously too weak to actually shoot someone: his right rib cage was broken and he had been shot in the chest. As the footsteps approached, I braced myself for the worst scenario. Death by gun shots wasn't too bad but knowing the cruelty of this demon, our deaths would be slow and painful. When the body of the man could be seen from my position, I rolled the rim and placed my finger on the trigger, ready to end his life. **This is it!**

"Don't shoot! It's me, Kira!" said the young man, stopping his run beside me.

"Jesus Christ, Kira! You could've warned me, damn it!"

"Why did you follow us?" scolded Mu, glaring at the young Coordinator.

"I wasn't going to just wait outside for you guys... Since Yzak is out of trouble, Dearka will take him back to the Archangel. Besides... if anything happened to you, what would I tell Murrue?" Mu smirked and chuckled, showing the faintest blush. "Mu, you're wounded!" noticed Kira, examining the man's injury.

"Don't worry: it's nothing. But there is something you should know: if you want to use that thing, you _should_ release the safety first." Said Mu, pointing at Kira's gun. "Ugh! Oh..." said the brown haired Coordinator, embarrassed.

"Don't be shy! Come along with me to the place where it _all _began!" replied Le Creuset, the madness in his voice still perceivable. "Kira, Kim! This is where you were born too, now wasn't it?" I gasped and Kira's eyes widen in shock.

"_Don't you fall for his tricks!_ No matter what he says, don't believe one single word of it! Said Mu, running in the front, leaving Kira and I in shock. We quickly followed while Mu opened another sliding door. As soon as Kira tried to look inside the room, gunshots were aimed at him and I swiftly pulled him away, behind a wall.

"Are you stupid or what? This _thing_ is inside with a loaded gun, Kira! That could've been your head just now!" I angrily whispered to him. "Damn it... I hate guns." He said, grunting. "You don't know how to use them either." Snickered La Flaga, making us smile.

We quickly entered the room and it was very dark expect for the lamps below our level that lit a little the pitch-black lab room. I looked below and saw those weird machines with display monitors that were still functional. Pictures of embryo were displayed everywhere and the room suddenly became more sinister.

"What _is_ this place? This is fucking creepy..." muttered Mu, keeping on walking.

As we walked around, this nauseous feeling that overwhelmed me had made me gag: I saw ionic machines with clear liquid inside holding what looked like alienated unborn children, some with eyes too big that popped out of their head and some that the head was too big it had exploded. This vomiting sensation hit my body like a wave of pain and I threw up on the ground, Kira, running to me. "Kim! You're sick!" I grunted my pain away and quickly got up.

"I'm just disgusted."

I pulled his head down as Le Creuset aimed at it again, Kira crashing on the ground. I shot in multiple places but it seemed like the mad man was unreachable.

"Does it bring back memories Kira, Kim? Is that why you're feeling awful? You should know this place!" As he spoke those words, Mu ran across the room, furious.

"... Know this place...? But, how...?" asked Kira, looking at me, confused. Mu parted with us and entered another room and exchanged shots with Le Creuset. I couldn't see anything because my eyes were in a state of fear, of disgust. "Come on, Kim... You can do this... Mu, he needs us..." he whispered to my ear.

"You're... right..." I got up and we walked to the other room too, keeping a distance between the sliding door and ourselves. Mu's raspy voice echoed through the room as he grunted in pain, hit. "Mu, no! We ran to him and jumped behind the table that our Commander had established for defense.

"Are you okay?" timidly asked Kira, touching his superior's arm. "Take this..." I said, handing Kira another piece of my shirt. He quickly wrapped Mu's arm with it and tried to calm the blood flow with his hands.

"I'm not going to kill you... After all, I made you go through the trouble of coming all the way down here. So I'll let you live long enough to let you hear the whole story." Said Rau, throwing in our direction two photographs. I recognized this photograph: it was Kira and Cagalli, when they were newborns, along with their mother who was holding them! He also threw a book containing multiple pictures of a man with a blond boy on his shoulders. Mu gasped as he grabbed the picture, shaking his head. "This... this is me! And my dad!" I looked at the third photo on the ground and it showed another, a third baby with dark brown hair, in a cradle, crying.

"Aren't you the least bit curious? About the ultimate extent of humanity and of its deepest shame and sorrow? About the fools who pursued their insane dream in the name of progress? Because after all, _you_ are children of this _too_! This place is a forbidden temple, the eminence of the dream of fools who thought they could play God... Did you ever suspect that the people you called 'mother' and 'father' your whole life weren't you real parents?" Kira gasped but this wasn't a secret to me... thanks to Reverend Malchio.

"You bastard! What are you talking about!" screamed Mu, shooting in the freak's direction.

"Of course not. If you were aware, you wouldn't have turned out the way you did Kira, Kim."

"I don't want to burst your bubble, but what you're saying is no revelation to me." I said to him.

"As I was saying, that goes for you two, Kim, you wouldn't have turned out so... _normal_. Free of any sign of a tainted, an ugly past... You know, it never occurred to me, even when Athrun first brought up your name, you might be _that_ child..." he said, pointing at Kira. "I always thought the siblings had died, especially you..." he said, his voice lowering with evil. "After all, together with your real father, Dr. Hibiki, you were the highest priority target of Blue Cosmos."

"...What...? But...!" said Kira, dumbfounded.

"But you survived, grew and threw yourself into the war and you survived that as well. Why do you think that is? Your story is so unlikely that even I'm starting to become that they were _all_ on to something. Maybe their crazy dream really had so validity..."

"I'm what? What are you trying to say about me? What are you trying to tell me?" screamed Kira, his nerves breaking down.

"You are the dream of humanity... **the ultimate Coordinator!" **Kira's body flinched and the madness continued.

"It was in the pursuit of that dream that he created the artificial womb. And yet you were the only viable child that was ever produced! For that result... a very large number of your 'siblings' were sacrificed..." he continued, this evil smile growing on his face.

"This is _nuts_!" I said, shooting in the direction of the ZAFT Commander. Mu reacted too and went berserk, shooting in every direction possible, trying to land a hit on this psycho. Kira was paralyzed and I grabbed him and Mu by the arm, heading to the stairs. "Come on... get a grip, you fool! You're not taking this nonsense seriously, are you?" said La Flaga, glaring at the shocked Kira. We hid in another room below the one we were in earlier, near a table with countless pills bottles.

"Today, my secret shall be revealed! I did not come into this world through natural birth! My genes were all arranged while I was still in the embryonic stage of my development... George Glen was the first Coordinator whom humanity knew... Do you have any idea how much darkness spread across the world because of the chaos he unleashed? I wonder if anyone truly comprehends the true extent of what that man set into motion..." said Le Creuset, pressing on a button, on the wall.

Voices in the rooms could be heard from speakers on the ceiling, the sounds captivating us. Women could be heard now and were saying stuff like 'I want my child to have blue eyes and blond hair...!' and 'Oh no! Its hair is the wrong color!' This tape was driving me crazy as the voices filled my heart with pain. Kira was paralyzed still and couldn't move one bit and Mu... he was pissed as hell.

"People made enormous sacrifices for this dream to come true... so of course they wanted it to come through... No one wants to see their dreams shattered! Is that what drove them onward? Because people _demanded_ that their dreams would come true no matter what? And what did people gain for this? What did they get? What were the results? _They forgot why they were doing it!"_

"_**Shut up!"**_

My voice echoed through the room, my anger was felt from the other three from head to feet. Rau took a moment and Mu shook Kira with vigour, trying to snap him out of his trance. His silence became snickers and then hysterical laughter. "If Coordinators and Natural hate each other so, why don't they just exterminate each other?" screamed Le Creuset, his voice now holding the sound of a maniac. "What gives you the right to sound so superior?" screamed Mu, shooting in the man's direction.

"I am the only one who's earned that right! In the entire universe, I alone have the right to judge all humanity!" he screamed, his voice hitting my head like powerful sound waves.

"Cut the crap you crackpot!" said La Flaga, holding Kira by the shoulders.

"If you say one more word, I'll make sure your ugly head in hung on my wall, back home." I said, letting the venom out of my mouth.

"Now is your turn, Kim. Boy, you amaze me even more than Kira, who is probably the world's national treasure! You are just like me! An outcast, an ugliness that can't be erased out of the world! You are a stain on humanity's white sheet! You are... You are...! I can't even begin to describe you, Kim Desjardins! You are so ugly but amazingly alive nonetheless! You are what mankind feared when they created your ally, Kira Yamato! You are the specimen that had 100% percent chance of dying but you survived! You are a misconduct experiment, the Coordinators' _garbage_!" He screamed, shooting at me.

"What the fuck are you saying? Don't you dare stop there!" I said, shooting in his direction. "Stop Kim! You don't want to hear this!" screamed Mu, grabbing my arm. "You take care of Kira!" I screamed, glaring at him. His hysterical laughter became more and more violent by the second, driving my mind onto madness.

"You are the world's most destructive being! You are a hybrid that wasn't supposed to live! You are both the good and the bad side of the human's genes! You are **both**! You're the _only _Coordinator-Natural hybrid man has created that survived!" I dropped my gun and collapsed on my knees, screaming at the top of my lungs, Kira crying in the back. "This can't be! _I'm a monster!_"


	30. Phase 30

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

I couldn't manage to breathe properly and my legs had left me with no strength to get up and kill this circus freak. I could feel every inch of my skin burning as the man continued talking, revealing my true nature, my true identity.

"Kim Desjardins, you are a dual type human, can you believe it? I still can't believe you're alive. After I met you, when you were saved and put on the Vesalius, I didn't know how to react: I couldn't believe it was you. Yzak seemed protective of you enough and I told myself not to push is limits when you were around: I suspected it might get you curious of why I wanted you so bad. You don't realize what potential you have; you're are part Natural, meaning you have its abilities and its qualities and defaults but you also have a Coordinator side, which means you also have its abilities and its qualities and defaults. You are, except for Kira that is, the perfect machine, even though you were meant to disappear. Let me explain how you got into this pathetic world..."

"Dr. Hibiki, as I mentioned, was a true genius in the science department. He cofounded this colony and took Mendel as its name. He created the very first ultimate Coordinator newborn child and the perfect Natural... Yes, I am speaking of _those_ twins. But the story doesn't end here... the twins weren't two to begin with... they were three."

"WHAT IS THIS NONESENSE?" screamed Mu, throwing anything he could find at Rau Le Creuset. I stopped breathing and let my hands fall beside my body, exhausted and lost.

"Yes, you were the third child of Dr. Hibiki, the one he supposedly 'ruined' because of his foolish dream. When Kira and yourself were put in separate artificial wombs, the other child, the one who is actually the late Orb's Chief Representative child, Cagalli Yula Atha, stayed inside the original mother's womb, inside Hibiki's wife uterus. Kira was growing exceptionally well while you were slowly but surely in the regressive phase of your development. When your heart first stopped beating, when you were approximately six weeks old, Hibiki panicked and took some genes from his only son, the ultimate Coordinator and implanted them into your DNA several times. After stabilizing your health a couple of times, the Ph. D never once thought of how these procedures affected you whatsoever. Slowly, you grew into a fetus with steady vital signs and was strong enough to be diagnosed the second successful, viable baby that grew into an artificial womb. But his joy would end soon; you began, at six months old, to develop several abnormalities such as an irregular heartbeat and late development. When he verified what was happening to you, what you have grown into, the monster and abomination you had become, Hibiki and his team decided to put a stop to your life and disconnected the artificial womb. He left you for dead." He said, slowly walking to me.

"Get _away_ from her!" Mu screamed, shooting in the Commander's direction.

"You were left for dead and Hibiki concentrated all his efforts on your brother, Kira Yamato. He would be the most important child in the world: he would be the ultimate Coordinator. But a couple of days later, when the team came to clean what you were in and to dispose of you, something quite bizarre occurred and it was what the lab researchers feared the most: you were still alive, you heart still beating strong days after your unofficial 'death'. You had the Natural's instincts and the Coordinator's instincts keeping your heart beating and that was when Hibiki discovered how to make the Coordinators live longer, based on what happened to his third, unwanted child."

"_**That's enough!"**_ Mu jumped forward and attacked Rau with his fists for only weapons. He was soon put to the ground, menaced by Rau's gun. "Let her hear the whole story, Mu. You're proving to be very disrespectful." Mu put his head to the ground and swore under his breath, clenching his teeth.

"And so they kept you alive once again, determined for you to be full terme and to show your nine months face to the one you never managed to call father. When he saw that, as a newborn, you were nothing special and pretty much resembled more to Cagalli than to your perfect brother, he gave up hope and thought that he had miscalculated your nature and handed you over for adoption. Your parents, as you knew them until you were almost eight, adopted you and never spoke of what happened to you in your early development. It's sad, isn't? Your own father rejected the most important piece of the puzzle? You are the key, Kim. You are the key I was looking for all along... I alone can open the door... And I'm the one opening it! Then, the world that we know will disappear... This world of insatiable desires will _end!_"

"Kim! It won't happen! I won't let you!" Kira's voice echoed in my head and it gave me strength to get up once more and to grab my gun. I slowly got up, my knees shaking and pointed it at the man who knew what I was. He shot Kira in the arm and I took the opportunity to shoot the man's mask, the thing that kept his face a secret. He gasped and tried to reach for the fallen mask but couldn't.

"Ha! Do you think you can change what's going to happen? Nobody can do anything about it! For the world full of hatred is engulfing the universe!" With that, Rau ran away, Mu still shooting in his direction. The ground shook as I got up, running to Kira, whose arm was injured. "Kira, are you okay?"

"Yeah... I guess I'm fine... Mu, are you able to walk?" asked Kira.

"Kids, I'm just fine... really, nothing could be better..." he said, grunting.

Kira grabbed Mu and supporting him while they walked.

When we reached the outsides, the GINN had disappeared and so had the Buster and Duel. **Thank you Dearka...** I got into my cockpit and moved the Vengeance to the Strike and picked it up while Kira installed Mu in the Freedom's cockpit, the Commander in no condition to pilot it. We headed back in silence, both of us completely surpassed by the events. When we reached the outside of the other side of the colony, the Archangel, the Kusanagi and the Eternal had already left the hangar, in pursuit of the Dominion.

"Kim, Kira, Commander La Flaga? Are you all unharmed?" asked Miriallia, through communication.

"Mu's been wounded."

I looked in the distance and could see four distinct lights flying in space, three of them attacking the middle one. I gasped.

"Kira! Athrun's fighting the three Alliance's machines! He's all alone!"

"We'll get to him! Let me drop off the Mu and we'll be on our way!"

After dropping the Strike and our Commander inside the Archangel, Kira and I headed to the battlefield as quickly as we could, both of our speed pedals slammed on the floor of our cockpits. This time, I knew what was happening to me: I had Kira's genes inside of me and I could feel them reacting. This feeling inside of me snapped and I smiled proudly. **The Seed... I also possess the Seed...**

"Out of the way, Athrun! I'll get the Calamity, _once and for all!_" Athrun did as I ordered him and I slammed into the aqua Mobile suit with all of my strength, destabilizing Orga, its pilot. I punched its cockpit but the Calamity resisted and sent multiple Gottfried beams towards me. It seemed like my confidence and my skills had been tripled and I felt like, even though I was still half Natural, I could do anything the ultimate Coordinator could do. The Buster had my back and I plunged towards the Calamity once more, taking out my laser sword. My radar showed that the Nazca class Vesalius was heading right towards us, to the battlefield and I alerted Kira, Athrun and Dearka. I slashed my blade in the direction of the Calamity and he evaded by going downwards. I kept my course and headed downwards too but noticed a white spot on my monitor. "Kira, the Vesalius disembarked something near the field! I... I think it's a pod!"

"A pod? What's a drifting pod doing here?" asked Athrun, surprised.

"I have no idea but I'll go get it... It might be containing suspicious material of even people..."

"You go get it, we'll push off these guys." Said Kira and Dearka.

I flew in the opposite direction, leaving the Calamity dumbfounded and alone. Kira quickly grabbed the opportunity and sliced through the aqua Mobile suit's arms, leaving Orga almost destroyed. The battlefield was now lit with pink lights everywhere and it was almost too blinding for me to see anything: I stayed confident that my radar was right and flew in the direction of that single white spot on my screen and prayed it wasn't a foolish trap I would end up falling in.

"_**Please, Archangel!"**_ The woman's voice echoed all around the field, in every open communication system. Her voice... her voice... I recognized her voice... Who could this be? I knew that person but I couldn't picture her face... She was calling out for help and this was no trap; I had to rescue that pod no matter what. It seemed like the whole fight had stopped in time, reacting to the woman's voice.

"Archangel... I'm... I'm here! It's me: Flay, _Flay Allster!_" **Flay! I knew it was you!** I looked at the Freedom, who was immobilized and them thumped in the back by the Raider, sending it down violently. "Kira!" I saw the Calamity heading towards my destination, the pod and I flew behind it, pressing as hard as I could on the speed pedal. **Faster, faster, faster! I won't make it in time!**

"I... I have something with me... A key! The key that's supposed to end this war!" she continued, her voice alarming every Mobile suit on the field. **What key? What is she talking about? What the hell does she have on her? **

"So... HELP ME!" The Freedom had reacted but it was too late... The Forbidden and the Raider had smashed its head apart, along with one of its wing, Kira completely unable to do anything. The Calamity was flying meters in front of me and I could almost reach its leg and could push him back before catching the pod. But the cunning piece of shit piloting it had been smarter than me and took out his rifle gun and pointed it to the floating pod, looking at me.

"If you move, I'll shoot that thing down." Said Orga, menacing me.

"Don't! Don't shoot it down! Don't get crazy here! What do you want?" I asked, stopping the Vengeance in its tracks.

"Hand over your Mobile suit and I'll give you the stupid pod, bitch." He said, bargaining something I could never ever give up.

"You... You're asking the impossible. Find something else to bargain."

"Too bad too sad, wench. I'm taking to pod. If you dare to attack me, I'll set the autodestruct system of the Calamity in motion. Everything around you will explode, even your precious pod and your precious nuclear Mobile suit." **Fuck! Damn it, damn it, damn it!**

Without a word more, the Calamity departed to the Dominion, leaving me crying like a baby, yelping to God. I whipped the tears off my face and thought about how Kira would be devastated if he learned that I couldn't save the woman he once loved... "I'm so sorry Kira... I couldn't... I would have killed us all... It's all my fault... I should've been more intelligent and let the Archangel catch her... I ruined it again..."

"Kim, are you alright?" asked Dearka, heading the Buster in my direction.

"I'm just doing _great_...! You saw what happened, didn't you? You can tell me how stupid I was, I can take it!"

"You were not stupid! You were brave and you know what? If you pursued your objectives, you would have ended up killing each one of us here. Thank you." He said, his words sincere.

I looked outside my window and saw the Archangel shooting signal flares in space, calling back our troops. **What I am going to say to them? I lost track of the pod... of my friend... Where's your pride now, Kim?**


	31. Phase 31

_**Just a little reminder: I do not own Mobile suit Gundam SEED, it belongs to Toshihiko Sahashi, Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise. Thanks for reading and remember that I was you to review if you want new chapters!**_

The three ships alliance regrouped shortly, awaiting for more information on the Dominion and their position. I was explained that the three ZAFT's Nazca class ships that were following us were destroyed by the Kusanagi and by the Eternal upon a rough battle. I was sitting next to Yzak's bed, in the sick bay facility. His whole body was still, his head resting on a comfortable pillow. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful while he slept. After being smashed inside the Duel's cockpit for a second time, he really went unconscious and stayed like this for hours. The doctors confirmed he'd be alright but we never know what happen when we're out cold.

"Hey, Doc, what the hell is taking you so long? Is he _ever_ going to wake up?"

The doctor, who had his back turned on me, turned around and grumbled something that sounded like 'can the girl just give him a break?' I glared at the professional and sprung up, my legs like iron bars. "I asked you a question, you know!" The Ph.D. turned around and opened his mouth, harsh words escaping his mouth. "Listen! The guy is unconscious! We can't do anything about it! He might wake up in a minute or in a week! Patience is a virtue, lady!" He stormed out of the room and I punched the white wall behind me violently.

"_The world that we know will disappear... This world of insatiable desires will_ _end!_" His voice echoed in my head and my blood pumped in my veins, remembering the exact words Rau Le Creuset said, the one that determined my life forever. "_You are the specimen that had 100% percent chance of dying but you survived! You are a misconduct experiment, the Coordinators' garbage!" _I punched the wall again and my body crashed on my knees, tired of this bullshit talk inside my head.

The sliding doors opened and revealed Murrue Ramius, my Captain. I looked at her, my eyes gazing at her face: since I met her, lines grew by dozen on her porcelain face because of the constant stress of war. Her gentle brown eyes met mine and she managed a cheap smile. I replied with a shy wave and closed my eyes and sighed.

"You seem exhausted, Kim. Why don't you rest for a while?" she asked, sitting on a bench. I shook my head and looked at Yzak, his still frame making my eyes water. "He'll come to his senses quickly enough, Kim. You don't have to stay here during all of your free time. I know... how you feel about him... I understand..." she said, looking away.

"It's really hard to understand, Miss Murrue. My reality has become so much more complicated... How I wish I never were a soldier... That I never piloted a Mobile suit and that I never spilled blood... both mine and the others for this _stupid_ war..." I said, rubbing my eyes.

"Everyone probably thinks that way... You are not alone in this, Kim. We must fight together to win this war. When it'll be over... Oh, when it will be over... You'll see... what true happiness it will bring to the world..." she said, her thoughts drifting away. "I don't remember how the world was when it was at peace..." I confessed, surprising Murrue. "I was quite young when Commander DuFlamme took me under his wing... I have very poor memories of what my life was before this day... when he rescued me from my hometown... But it's the best memory I've got so far..." I said, mumbling the last part of the sentence.

"You don't have to be ashamed... Even I think that I don't remember a day without struggles. Since I was fifteen, the world has been in a state of fear, which means it was a long time ago..." she said, giggling.

"I don't know how you do it, Miss Murrue. Being a Captain looks like a hard fucking job." I replied, rubbing my temples.

"Being you must be even harder." She replied. I looked away ashamed and stayed silent.

"Commander La Flaga told me what happened at the core of the colony. He told me... what you are... and how you managed to survive. You must be so angry at yourself and at the world, Kim... I don't know how you do it either." She replied. "I couldn't believe it at first and didn't want to listen to him but when you face the facts... It's pretty hard not to ignore it. After all... you lived alongside Naturals pretty much all of your life and now you have to work along with Coordinators, one being your own boyfriend. Your nature is truly outstanding, Kim. You are an extraordinary person. Your Natural side... it's apparent when you fight; you _really_ look like you're drunk, going all over the place and hitting like a mad man... but you also show your Coordinator side when the going gets tough; you are superior in your intelligence, with your body and with your logic. You see? There's nothing negative being... what you are." She said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I am not a Natural and not a Coordinator... I am a 'it', something that isn't supposed to live and wasn't supposed to exist... Having Kira as the perfect Coordinator for a brother and Cagalli as a perfect Natural for a sister... What am I? The 'thing' in the middle, that's what I am." I replied, pushing her hand away.

"And we all love you for what you are. You know, you can always choose what you want to be... You have the choice in your hands, Kim. I'll leave you with this: don't give up. You are worth it." She said, exiting the room quietly.

I sighed and looked at Yzak. "I'll be back in a few. You wait here."

I exited the room and was instructed, in the hangar, that my machine should be moved to the Eternal for the installation of a device named METEOR on it. I nodded and embarked the Vengeance and the hatch opened for me, leaving me outside, in space, to reach for the pink ZAFT ship.

The Vengeance was quickly taken by the mechanics for repair and I headed to the waiting room, where Cagalli had asked me. **Jesus, how am I going to explain this?** I slowly, very slowly walked to the waiting room, trying to figure out how I should tell Cagalli that not only she had two twins but that this third person is kind of a freaky hybrid created by an evil man who wanted to take over the world with super being he called Coordinators... I found out how I should tell her that she is my twin sister but the other stuff... It would come out when it would come out.

I sighed and continued my walking when I crossed path with Athrun. "Kim... How are you?" he asked, handing me a water bottle. "I could be better..."

We walked in silence beside each other and I could feel the pressure emaning from him, the pressure of curiousness. He tried to hide it so badly but men really sucked at lying. "Athrun, is there something wrong?" I asked, my voice taunting him.

"Uh, no. Of course not."

"Are you sure? I swear I had the feeling you wanted to talk to me..." He turned his gaze at me and I could feel him ready to crack as the seconds went by. This guy was really good at restraining himself but he finally blew up, opening his mouth. "What... _what_ happened inside the colony?" he asked, his anxiety vanishing. "I heard from Kira about some serious matter... about you..."

"Listen Athrun; I am not some conventional Coordinator... not Natural, for the matter. I don't want you to scream, vomit, gag or even stay speechless. I want us to act normal after what I am going to tell you, is that clear? I have a gun and I'm not afraid to use it." He nodded sharply and listened carefully.

"I am... a freak of nature."

"Like I didn't know that..." he mumbled. I nudged his arm and he winced.

"What the heck was that for?"

"For being an ass. Listen: I am a Coordinator... and a Natural at the same time..."

"How can this be? What are you?" he said, raising his voice, earning another bump on the arm. "I said stop screaming, you moron! I don't want all of the universe to know!" He nodded again and rubbed his injured arm.

"I am a Coordinator-Natural hybrid. I am... you know... a mix between the two..." I said waiting for an explosion of screams... but it never came. Surprisingly, Athrun kept his trap shut and looked completely calm. **God, if I knew this was as easy as eating a freaking popsicle... **We continued walking and Athrun seemed normal and in his usual state of mind, which meant predictable and probably boring. We walked up some stairs and we finally, after a couple of minutes, reached the room where Kira, Lacus and Cagalli were waiting for us. When I caught the Cagalli's gaze, she was frowning, her eyes sending thunder bolts at me. "Kim, what the hell is going on? What is this nonsense?" She screamed, blowing both Athrun and my eardrums.

"I am glad you're fine too, Cagalli. What do you mean 'what's going on'? Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Kira keeps repeating something that sounds like 'The three of us... family... can't believe it...!' in his sleep. What does he mean by that? You know him better than I do so _what the heck_?" she replied, her hands on her waist.

"I am afraid I have to go talk to him..." I said, passing her. I opened the sliding door and saw Kira in a bed, Lacus by his side. "What happened to him?" I asked, worried. "He collapsed earlier, probably from exhaustion... I am glad you're well, Kim... she said, getting up.

"Lacus, would you be so kind to leave us alone, for a moment?"

"Of course... I'll be outside, if you need anything..."

I waited for her to get out of the room before looking at Kira, who was trying to get up and sit. "I suggest you stay on your back for a while. You need to recover." I said, sitting next to him. He laughed and replied: "You look more like shit than I do. You should take a nap, for a change." He said, still sitting. We waited a long moment before someone broke the ice. "I can't believe I'm thinking what I'm thinking right now." Said Kira, smirking.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, curious.

"I'll never be able to look at your ass again without feeling remorse." He said, cracking up with laughter.

"You dared to look at my ass, Kira Yamato! I thought _you'd_ be the hopeless virgin! How can you do this to me? I swear if you tell me you've had wet dreams about your own sister, I'll rip your neck." I said, pushing the guy, this one still laughing. "Come on, we barely have time to sleep!" he said, continuing on his charade.

"Kira Yamato! You pervert!" I threw a pillow at him and he threw it back, hitting my face hard. "So you want to fight, uh? You know you're younger than me and you still want to take me on, kiddo?" I asked, holding the pillow in my arms, ready to fire it at my twin's face.

"Who said you were the eldest, Kim? I supposed Cagalli would... be...?" he said, completely stopping his body from moving. His eyes shifted his attention behind me and I turned around and gasped: Cagalli was standing straight, her hands to her mouth, speechless. I got up and Kira sat on the edge of the bed, not knowing what to say. "Cagalli... I... I..." he started but only syllables would come out.

"When you were you going to tell me?" she screamed, throwing the family picture in her hands, a photograph with our mother and the three of us in our own cradle, sleeping peacefully.

"Where... Where did you get this?" I asked, grabbing the photograph from the air.

"Commander LaFlaga judged best to let me know. I repeat my question now... When were you going to tell me? That I have another sibling? That this one is I don't know what? Why didn't you guys tell me before?" she said, tears flowing out of her eyes.

"Come on, Cagalli... We just learned that... you know, we are a family... We couldn't tell you while fighting, now, could we? We didn't have the time to tell you." Kira said, trying to calm our twin down. She clenched her fists and teeth and Athrun entered the room, feeling the tension inside. "Cagalli... maybe it's not the best time to..."

"I will ask what is needed to be asked, Athrun! I want to know what's happening to them!" she said, snapping Athrun's arm away.

"I will answer your questions since Kira is tired." I replied, looking straight at her.

"Fine. First, tell me who you are and what you are." She said, glaring.

"My name is Kim Desjardins and... and... I am... I am what you can call a hybrid." I said, confusing the blond girl even more so.

"I am afraid I don't understand what you're saying. What are you, exactly?" she asked, taken aback, Athrun reaching for her arm again, knowing what he reaction would be.

"I am a Coordinator-Natural hybrid, meaning I have the genes of them both." Cagalli's screams were muffled by Athrun's hand and he had to restrain her from moving and thrashing about. I felt it would be better if I told her the whole truth in one shot: I figured like it would be like a Band-Aid and that it would be simpler of you just pull it out in one shot so the pain would end up soon too.

"When I was with Kira in the colony's core, we learned that you, Kira and yourself, were the perfect Coordinator and perfect Natural. Our father, Dr. Hibiki, created us for unique purposes, which I can't really decipher right now. As you are aware, I was the last one, the middle child, to be taken care of... After several complications, Hibiki decided that I wouldn't be able to survive without Kira's genes so he implanted those multiples times inside of me, creating what you now see as what I am... Please understand, Cagalli... If I had the choice, I would be one or another... not both... I am... _garbage_... to both sides..." I closed my eyes and my mouth sourly curled into a whimper and I placed my hands on my face, trying to hide it from the world. Cagalli ran towards me and grabbed me in her arms, her big sister's instinct kicking in.

"I am not angry at you, Kim...! I was merely worried about you and Kira! It hurts less... now that I know... what we are... I still have a lot of questions but today... Today is not the day for that... right, Kira?" she asked, Kira nodding. I started giggling and Cagalli let go of my body, confused. "What are you laughing about?" she asked.

"...Can you believe Kira had fantasies over my butt?" I said, breaking in laughter.

"What? _That is so wrong_, Kira Yamato! How can you think like this about your sister!" she said, throwing the pillow I had in my hands at Kira, this one unable to dock.

"I didn't know that she was my little sister!" he said, pleading Cagalli to stop hitting him.

"What the fuck makes you think _I'm_ the youngest, Kira?"

"Because... you act like it!" he replied, making me twitch in annoyance.

"_I_ act like it? _Who's_ the one who plays with mechanical birds all day long? _Who_ laughs at dumb blond jokes when you are told some? Whose porn magazines were found under _your_ bed? _You're_ **definitely** the youngest." I stated, making Cagalli crack in laughter too.

"They are not mine... They're Athrun's!" he said, pointing at the blushing blue haired Coordinator, this one flushing so bad his skin was now beating red.

"Don't you blame this on me, Kira! I do not own these disgraceful magazines and I surely don't _fucking _read them!" Everyone stopped talking, even Cagalli.

"Athrun, you just said 'fucking'! I can't believe this!" I said, winking at him.

"I... I... I didn't mean it!" he said in defence, glaring at me.

"Come on Athrun! A man is allowed to swear from time to time... Even you... Though I judge from our first encounter that you were hard to describe as a man... with your hair cut and everything..." I mumbled, earning one mighty punch on the head. "Hey!"

"_Take that back_! I don't look like a girl!" he said, pointing his finger at me.

"Athrun... I have to agree with her... You could use a hair cut... This one is _way_ too feminine..." said Cagalli, putting her hand on his arm.

"Look _who's_ talking now. You pretty much look like a man, Cagalli! With that scrummy hair cut and that tomboy attitude... I was the one who thought you were a boy the first time we met..." said Kira, knowing what was awaiting him after what he said.

"WHAT? How dare you, Kira Yamato! I'll kill you!" said Cagalli, jumping on the bed, struggling to grab a handful of Kira's hair. I decided it was time to leave, seeing how this would turn out... in a massacre. Athrun tried to calm Cagalli but that woman had so much stamina it was impossible. Lacus and I looked at each other and she stayed to help Kira while I exited the room, still smiling.

When I opened the door to Yzak's medic room, this one was already sitting, regaining conscience. "Yzak, you're alright!" I said, jumping on the bed, wrapping my arms around him. "Kim, I'm out of air..." he managed to say, his wrapped head still throbbing. "I'm so sorry... You're right..." I sat at the end of the bed, examining his injured legs. I closed my eyes and rubbed them, trying to make my fiancée feel better. "I am not hurting, Kim. I am simply... ugh... weak."

I crawled to him and laid my body besides his, snuggling my head on his chest. He past a hand in my hair and I let him caress my head: after all, it has been quite a moment since we didn't have a chance to be intimate. "I thought Le Creuset had killed me." He said, rubbing his eyes, resting his head next to mine. "I... I didn't let him. I would never let anyone do that to you. I pretty much... destroyed his Mobile suit..." I said, blushing. "I know what you are capable of... I have no doubt you did." I kissed his cheek and he flushed, his cheekbones tainted with pink. He reached for my mouth and I let him dominate me, half of his body on top of mine already. I moaned and he rested his hand on my waist, his right leg pulling me closer.

"Hey, kids! Can you wait before I leave, damn it?" said Mu, on the opposite bed. I blushed and hid my face; I didn't even notice his presence whatsoever! Yzak grumbled something that sounded like 'that pervert...' and Mu smirked, stepping down his bed and exited the room. "It's been a while since we could be alone... I mean... really alone..." He said, grabbing my butt. Since it was a special occasion, I let him do as he pleased, earning a smirk of victory from him in return.

"I thought... you wanted to wait until the war was over... For us to... try something new..." I said, looking in his deep, blue eyes.

"Kim, I realized something... I almost died back there and frankly, almost died several times now... I don't want to die knowing that I never enjoyed being with you to the fullest. I don't want to die knowing I've left you with nothing, no memories of us together... no memory of me, no memento..."

"Yzak, you don't have to say that... You won't die..."

"Let's face the facts, here: I might die before you. I don't want to leave you empty and with no emotion when you think about me... if I leave. If you permit me... I can make one single moment that could count forever but only if you feel like it." He said, rubbing my neck.

"Why are you talking shit all of a sudden? What's gotten into you?" I asked, worried.

"Will you let me fulfill this moment, Kim?"

"I am afraid I don't know what you mean... You're injured, you shouldn't..."

"God damn, Kim! Will you let me make love to you like the man I am? Will you accept my feelings like the wonderful woman you are? Can I be more explicit than that?" he said, frowning. "You... you _want _to?" It came out of my mouth in a blur and I quickly shut my trap, knowing I had said something that was actually going to piss him off. "_Of course_ I want to you fool! I wouldn't have put that ring on your finger if I didn't!" he said, almost pouting. He turned around and cut the communication with me, making me regret my words.

I grabbed his hand and put it to my heart, making him frown in confusion. He pulled a robbery kiss on me and pinned me down on the bed, making me laugh and him happy. And that night, for the first time in my life, I've felt complete, with Yzak, and my feelings were fulfilled. The love we shared that night was ours and ours alone and it created a magical memory.

"I... I love you." His voice echoed in my dreams.


	32. Phase 32

_**I do not own Gundam Seed or any of its plots of characters.**_

_**Good reading and thanks for those who have been waiting for this one!**_

When we woke up, hours later, I still felt amazing, his sleeping body lying next to me in all of its splendor. I grabbed his shirt and put it on, also reaching for my panties and my bra. I silently got up and reached for the bathroom, where I took a long a peaceful shower. When I finished drying my hair, I got out, a toothbrush in my mouth, my hair in a bun. Yzak was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to replace his bed head hair. "Well, it's probably the first time I see you with your hair all messed up. Good morning sunshine." I said, smirking. He grumbled and got up, forgetting he was as naked as a worm.

"Ugh, Yzak, you might want to put on some clothes... Commander La Flaga is..." I said, not finishing my sentence, Mu's blue eyes staring right at Yzak's rear, chuckling.

"She's right, man... Put on something, dude." He said, throwing Yzak an Earth Alliance uniform. Yzak caught it and looked at it, lost in thoughts.

"Can you put in on... like right now?" asked Commander La Flaga, looking away, still wearing his mocking smirk on his face.

"You know, you can always look away, pops. It's not my fault my complexion is way more... manly than yours. You're simply jealous, old pervert." He retorted, making Mu nervous, all of a sudden.

"Hey! Don't diss my magnificent body! It has suffered multiple injuries and countless battles, kid. I am a man, a _real_ man... with a real haircut, by the way." He said, winking at me and exited the room laughing. Yzak was about to go after him for mocking his hair but I grabbed his arm, afraid that he might get sued for public nudity on board.

"Yzak, you're naked for God's sake! Would you like to fall on Athrun, naked like a baby?" I said, pulling him near the bed.

"Ugh, that _stupid_ Commander! What is wrong with my hair?" he asked, looking straight at me. I couldn't answer... Quite frankly, I never really considered Yzak's hair. I mean, I couldn't help but to look at it and fight his hair so silky and shiny but the haircut... I wasn't brave enough to tell him that it was a bit odd.

"Eh, well... There's nothing wrong with it, really...!" I said, sweating nervously, grinning. He grunted and headed for the bathroom and I heard him lock the door... twice. **Damn, I'm going to kill Mu for this. **I waited for him on the edge of the bed, my eyes closed and my mind running like crazy about the recent events. Did I really learn that I was both a Natural and a Coordinator? Did I sleep with Yzak? Why was it all happening to me right now? Why couldn't I have the answer to everything I wondered about...? I sighed and rest my head on Yzak's pillow, smelling the musky scent he had left on it. After an hour, I decided it was time to leave and I wondered what the hell he was doing in there. "Come on, Yzak! Let's move already!" I said, getting up and knocking on the door. No response.

"Hey, we're going to be late... to whatever we're going to be late at! Hurry up, damn it!" Finally, he responded but he had this annoyed tone in his voice.

"_You_ go, I'll catch you later...! Don't you wait for me!" he said, his harsh voice pushing me away. I frowned and walked away, curious and confused at the same time. I exited the room speechless and looked behind... but he wasn't following me. I didn't know what his problem was, but I figured that it was Yzak I was thinking about here... so I had to prepare for anything, really.

I walked towards the waiting room, in the middle of the Eternal and saw Kira and Athrun talking, Cagalli and Lacus absent. I walked towards them with a plastered smile on my face, obviously happy. "Hey, guys! What are you up to?" I asked, standing beside them. "Nothing... Tell me, why are you so happy this morning, Kim?" said Athrun, crossing his arm, obviously still a bit angry at me for what I said about him.

"I... have no reason. I am simply happy." I said, smiling at him with a nice, warm curve in my lips. "That's right... And I'm a camel..." he replied, pouting.

The little monitor screen beside out table opened and Cagalli's head appeared on it, her stern expression making us worried and nervous. Since she couldn't be on the Eternal and was obligated to stay aboard the Kusanagi, there were no other options. "Guys... I have bad news... I'm afraid this calm situation couldn't be kept longer... A lunar fleet is on its way to attack Boaz... And we are right in their range." She said, her voice lowering.

"_A lunar fleet is staging an attack against Boaz_?" exclaimed Athrun, surprised.

"Yeah... According to them, it can happen anytime now...Or it could already be happening right now..." Kira sighed and looked at Athrun, knowing this one was having a rough time with the situation... After all, Athrun had always been a ZAFT soldier... and Boaz was one of the main arteries of its military bases.

"Does Lacus know?" continued Kira. "Yeah, she's is discussing it with Murrue at this very moment..." By the time Cagalli finished her sentence, the atmosphere in the room was completely ruined and heavy: Athrun was uneasy and seemed nervous while Kira tried to calm him down with soothing small talk.

I closed my eyes and imagined what the battlefield must be like in this instant. People fighting against each other for stupid ideals of their own, trying to make the world rotate in their favor... Soldiers exterminating each other for others, then being killed by others... **It doesn't make sense! Why are the Earth Forces attacking such a massive fortress like Boaz? They know of what the outcome would be! What gave them the courage to do so? Why are they so confident...? Oh my God! Are they... No, they wouldn't use **_**those**_**...ones, right? They couldn't, it wouldn't be...!**

"_For the preservation of our blue and pure world! We will do __anything__!"_

"_Those weapons will surely annihilate them for good! Let's kill those Coordinators!"_

"_Sayonara, Junius Seven! We'll hope to see you wenches in Hell!"_

Flooding memories took possession of my thoughts and I couldn't silence the voices than ran in my soul. I remembered everything now; it was all clearly to me now. They were using the same scenario, the same actions they did when the Earth Forces attacked Junius Seven. They waiting for the perfect opportunity, staying low profile for a while and then strike like a hurricane, without any warning. I opened my eyes and tried to regain my breath, which proved to be more of a task than I envisioned. I couldn't stay still and keep calm: I walked restlessly around the room, evading Kira and Athrun's gaze, both loaded with confusion. I could feel the moment approaching but I didn't want to realize what was happening out there. I wanted to believe they would retract and withdraw from such an operation but I knew too well the Naturals: they were obstinate and fooling creatures. "Kira... I know what's happening out there. Athrun, you won't be too happy about this either." I said, looking straight at them.

"You... You surely remember what happened at Junius Seven, right?" I asked, knowing it was painful enough for the both of them, Athrun the most. "You remember exactly how it happened, I suppose? The Earth Forces waited for a long time before finally launching... those things."

Athrun gasped and put a hand to his mouth, preventing him from screaming.

"Don't tell me... they're going to use... those things, right? Tell me you're joking!" said Kira, alarmed.

"I was in the Division for a long time, Kira. I know... how it is. I know of what and how it happened. I was once part of it too. They're going to use Nukes on Boaz."

"_All vessels prepare for take off! All hand to emergency stations!"_

The three of us looked at each other and nodded silently, quickly exiting the room, tension between us visible. We hovered to the control room of the Eternal and opened the sliding doors to reveal Lacus and the Desert Tiger looking afar, through the cockpit's window. "Lacus!" The two of them turned around to face us, Kira engaging the heavy conversation. "Is the lunar fleet attack against Boaz beginning?" he asked, earning a sad look from the songstress.

"No... Things have moved faster... and in the worst possible direction." She said, closing her eyes in pity.

**They haven't...! Already? How come they were so fast?**

"According to the information received from our sources... Boaz has already been destroyed... With nuclear weapons used by the Earth Forces."

"It... happened... already?" I asked, obliterated by what I was hearing.

"Yes... they seemed to have been very cunning about the whole situation..." he whispered, his voice filled with anger. "In any case, the PLANTs won't remain silent... after this... That's for sure." He continued.

"You're right." Replied Lacus, her brilliant smile vanishing battles after battles.

"And we know that the PLANTs also have N-Jammer Canceller technology..." he continued, his voice sinking deeper. "You should go to your machines, Kira, Athrun, Kim. You should launch soon, in case of emergency... Though we already have that kind of situation right now..." said Lacus. "Right."

Minutes later, I was in my cockpit, arranging the Vengeance and adding the finishing touches. Kira was awfully silent and so was Athrun. They have kept silence since I told them that Nukes were probably the Earth Forces weapon for attacking Boaz. "Do... Do you think the PLANTs will respond with nuclear weapons as well?" asked Kira, his voice trembling with anxiety.

"... If my father were sane... then I would doubt it. But right now, I can't be sure..." replied Athrun, his heart probably filled with mixed emotions.

"Why do these things exist to begin with? Damn those nuclear weapons...!" I said, clenching my fists.

"Well, for that matter, why are these mobile suits and guns?" continued Kira, his words floating in the air without response. I barely had time to close my eyes that the emergency signal was opened all around the Eternal. "Kim! Kira! Athrun! They're not done yet! They plan another nuclear assault... On the PLANTs!" screamed Cagalli through communication.

"What? Are you serious? They wouldn't possibly be able to do that! I thought their nuclear attacks were over!" screamed Kira, his voice filled with more anxiety. Athrun stayed morbidly silent and I couldn't even open my mouth to gasp in fear. The Eternal put our radios on international signals and we clearly heard a woman through our speakers.

"_We will never let those barbaric Naturals drop a single nuclear weapons on us again! After Bloody Valentine, we refrained from retaliating against the Naturals with nuclear warheads yet they have once again betrayed us and our prayers! We can no longer __**forgive**__ them! Now, my courageous ZAFT soldiers! Now's the time for you to show them your strength! Show them that we shouldn't be messed around with!"_

"Who... Who was that?" asked Kira.

"That... That was Yzak's mother speaking to the Coordinator nation." Said Athrun.

"You three must know by now what you should do. We must not allow a single nuclear missile to hit the PLANTs. If the blade of light stabs through those, who have no reason to be stabbed, it will only lead to endless tears and hatred once more. We may already be too late..." replied Lacus, her heart growing with sadness.

"I'm taking off! Kim Desjardins, Vengeance, Let's go!" The Vengeance was quickly ejected from the hatch and I saw, on the other side of the Eternal, the Buster, the Strike and the Duel ejected as well. I looked at the Duel and opened communication with Yzak.

"Yzak... don't get hit by those nuclear warheads..." I whispered.

"Who do you think I am? I wouldn't fall for such obvious trap, Kim!" he said, his harsh voice reassuring me. I looked behind and saw Kira and Athrun being ejected, flying to me.

"Kim, they're going to install the METEOR systems on the Freedom, Justice and Vengeance. You should come." Said Kira, grabbing the Vengeance's right arm. I waved goodbye to Yzak and he replied to gesture and flew away, along with Dearka and Mu.

"We declare peace but with weapons in our hands. The choice we're making may be also evil..." said Lacus, her voice trembling with sobs.

"Don't worry, Lacus. As long as we fight for both sides and for what this world truly needs... There is no need to worry." Said Kira, reassuring her through his mike. I looked behind me and saw three distinct machines floating our way.

"Okay, kids. You just let them pop in your back like a Lego, hear me? They will install automatically... There, Kira. You're a natural, boy. Athrun, don't move... that's it. It's your turn, Kim." Said Andrew Waltfeld. I saw the METEOR heading in my direction and turned around, my back facing it and it attacked to the Vengeance Aile pack easily with a 'click'. I looked on my sides and saw the multiples cannons of the METEOR, instantly making me comfortable.

"It's not only the best fighting system out there but the fastest propulsion system as well. You'll be able to fly to the PLANTs in no time at all." He continued. "I suggest you go, now. The Earth Forces and your friends are more advanced on the battlefield than you are. Now, **go**!" he said, Kira pressing on the accelerator first. I departed soon after he did and Athrun decided it was best for him to stay third in the flock.

We could already see the Archangel and the Kusanagi in the distance. It wasn't long before we got passed them. The METEOR system was quite unique and was the perfect complement to the Vengeance, the Freedom and the Justice. When Kira established communication with the Archangel, Murrue had already put pressure on us. "They sent the missiles! Those bastards are swift! You go forward! We we'll be guarding your back! Destroy those missiles! Your lives depend on it!"

"But! Miss Murrue...! Even with the METEOR, we'll never get passed the Earth Alliance's fortress fleet! It's too dangerous and besides... there are too many of them..." said Athrun, earning a punch from me. "Come on you coward! We don't have time for bullshit! Even though it seems impossible to stop such a massive attack... we can still try or die trying!" I said, urging the Vengeance forward, trying to catch up with the others. I looked behind and saw Kira following me, followed by Athrun.

"You're right, Kim. I was fooling to say such things. I have to protect my homeland. The PLANTs are my home and I won't let it be destroyed that easily." He said, earning once again my approval. The wait was long and crucial and it burned my skin that I couldn't do anything to help. My speed was at its maximum and my patience was wearing out. **Where's that damn fleet?** In the far distance, I could perceive a lineage of fine domes, aligned in a straight position. **The PLANTs! Finally, we made it!**

"Kira, Athrun, start shooting! We're running short on time!" They nodded and activated the fighting system. When we pressed the fire button, we were surrounded by hundreds of beams emanating from our engine, beams that sliced space as fast as light. The contact with the positrons beams and the nuclear content inside the warheads created a chemical disaster that exploded in the dark, brightening space around us. Pink and red lights surrounded the PLANTs as the missiles were shot down by the ZAFT forces and the Three Ship Alliance. Soon, the missiles vanished and the harm was over. The space around us was still filled with brilliant explosions as everybody on the battlefield stopped, afraid of simply in awe in front of those luminous nuclear explosions.

When I stopped firing, I could feel the weight of the METEOR again, like it was back to normal. I looked around me and saw Athrun approaching, along with Kira. In the distance, there was the Archangel, the Eternal and the Kusanagi, flying with high weapons. The three of them were like marching on the battlefield, opposing anyone in their path that would not listen to them. Someone had to talk to both sides to cease the fighting and if the enemies weren't going to listen, then they would smack their faces open. "Kira, it's the Calamity! Behind you!" Kira quickly turned around and evaded the Calamity's Gottfried beam, flying away from it.

"_Soldiers of the Earth Forces! Stop your attack at once! Are you really aware of the consequences of what you're about to do? I repeat: Soldiers of the Earth Forces! Stop your attacks at once!" _**Lacus Clyne... who knew the girl with pink hair could be so courageous as to speak to an entire battlefield full of soldiers ready to kill and to die?**

My monitor suddenly flashed and a message from ZAFT's forces space fortress Jachin Due appeared. I read what displayed and frowned. _"All vessels, retreat from zone of emission! Genesis." _**What does that mean? Right! My Mobile suit, coming from ZAFT, is still connected to their system! Must be the same with the Freedom and the Justice... What is that 'zone of emission' thing and 'Genesis'? What is going on here?**

"Kira, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I have no idea but we better advise the Archangel, the Kusanagi and the Eternal."

"I'll do it. You guys stay on your guard." Said Athrun.

"Kim, look! The ZAFT forces are retreating!" said Kira, pointing the Freedom's finger in the far distance. GINNs and DINNs were evacuating the area and this looked fishy. **Something's about to happen and it's going to be ugly... **I connected my communication system with Yzak's and knew he would be able to answer my question.

"Yzak? What's going on? What is happening? What is 'Genesis'?" I asked. He didn't answer for a brief moment and when he finally opened his mouth, his voice trembled. "This is bad. Get out of there, Kim. Get as far from where you are as possible!"

"Yzak, answer my question!"

"They're going to fire _it!_ What are you waiting for, Kim? Go away! Save yourself and fly away from where you are! If it shoots you down... You're dead! Go! It's going to be anytime now...! Did you hear me? FLY!" The Vengeance detected an enemy's machine's phase shift and it indicated west from where I was. I concentrated and looked around in that direction. I could see something distinctive but I had no idea what it was. The mirrors around it paced themselves to reflect the conic metal object emanating in the middle of the asteroid, where it was hidden. **Is that 'Genesis'? That conic object...?...What's it doing? It pointing at something, somewhere? What is it...? Oh my God! **I blinked and closed my eyes, blinded.

Light.


	33. Final Phase

My eyes were as wide as could be and my mouth was open, screams escaping it. I looked at the horrifying scene and closed my eyes out of fear. The Genesis's beam sliced through everything in its path and destroyed every single Mobile suit it had touched. The hellish read positron beam became thinner by the second and vanished in a matter of two minutes. Static electricity still attacked the Vengeance's body with thumps and I stayed still, paralyzed. "What... How... could this... be?" I said to myself, feeling the empty tears rolling down my face. I could breathe normally now but my body was in such a state that I forgot to breathe to hear what was happening outside, what kind of sounds it made. The ZAFT forces around me plunged onwards and the small Strike Daggers models flew away, scared. The ZAFT forces seemed to be at advantage and were eliminating the withdrawing Alliance's troops.

"What are you doing? Stop this!" I said, aiming the METEOR at the ZAFT's Mobile suit's mass. They exploded with vivid colors and I flew passed the Alliance's Mobile suit in a blur. I looked at my monitor and the Eternal had sent a message of withdrawal as well. "Kim, hurry back. We are going too." Said Andrew.

(...)

Everybody had rejoined in the Eternal's control room; the Archangel's main crew and the Kusanagi's main staff as well. I descended from the Vengeance, still dizzy and confused and stepped on the metal steps, where I could lean on the ramp.

"Kim! Are you alright? Kim!" Cagalli's voice echoed in my brain and I found the strength to open my eyes and saw her chestnut eyes gazing at me. "You're so pale! Wait, sit here, I'll go get someone!" she said.

"I don't need anyone... I just need this massacre to end..." I said, pressing my warm head on the cold metal ramp. "You need water. Here, drink." She said, handing over a water bottle. I was so shocked I didn't even have the strength to open the cap.

"Here... let me do it..." she said, untwisting the plastic cap. I took a sip of the cold liquid and felt it going down my throat like a rock. I stayed still for a couple of minutes and Cagalli rubbed my head. "You were too close to that infernal machine... You almost died... I thought Yzak told you to get away from where you were... but you stayed still..." she said whispering, my head on her shoulder.

"I didn't have time..." was all I managed to say. "We'll stay here for a while. Kira and Athrun are not good as well. They pretty much had the same reaction. But Dearka, Yzak and Commander La Flaga are without a scratch." She said, reassuring me. "Thanks Cagalli." It has been half an hour since Cagalli came to help me back up. I stepped down the stairs and slowly walked beside her. "We have a meeting in the control room. The three captains should be there... We're the only ones left." She said. "Why didn't you tell me I kept the meeting from happening?" I said, a bit angry. "I thought it would be best to let you rest for a couple of minutes. You looked like you needed it."

We both entered the elevator and waited until it had reached the control room floor. When we stepped out, a lot of noise was coming from behind the sliding doors, like people were arguing about something. When we entered the room, Mu and Yzak were arguing, their voices torturing my head. "We just can't continue this impossible mission! It's way too dangerous!" said Yzak, pointing fingers at my Commander.

"We didn't this far to give up, Yzak Joule! We have to keep moving on! It's the only solution! We're in too deep of a mess to throw in the towel! I thought Coordinators weren't cowards!" screamed Mu. "I thought Naturals had more logic than a common monkey." Yzak replied, earning a glare from Mu.

"What's going on here?" Cagalli asked, confused. On my side, I was in complete awe before my fiancée; he had cut his hair short with a small Mohawk and clean cut on the sides. **He's even more gorgeous than I envisioned... so that's why he took so long this morning, in the bathroom...**

"Yzak, your hair..." I started but he gave me a sharp look.

"_Never mind_ the **fucking** hair! You're Commander's a retard!" he said.

"This _dumbass _wants the whole party to give up." Mu said, almost pouting.

"...What? Why?" I asked, turning my head to face Yzak.

"Can't you see this is _insane?_ Can't you see this is just a massacre and not a war? This is beyond fighting about the genes! This has gone too far for me to cope with! I am a soldier, but a soldier sometimes has his limits. Look at you for God's sakes, Kim! You're a mess and you almost got killed by Genesis! I _refuse_ to be part of this anymore." He said, crossing his arms.

"Yzak... You're acting weird. What is the real motive behind this...?" whispered Dearka to his fellow comrade's ear.

"_I'm not acting weird!_ This thing radiates more nuclear shit than anything else in the whole wide world! This situation is simply fucked and I am tired of dealing with shit!" he whispered back, his voice perceptible by anyone who listened well.

"We just can't give up." I said to him, giving him a sorry look.

"What? Why aren't you siding with me? I thought you wanted the same thing!"

"I understand where you're coming from, Yzak... but we worked so hard... I just can't leave this behind me like it's not happening when I perfectly know we have more chance of dying if we don't do anything than if we try something." I said, walking to him, taking his hand.

"I... I want you to be safe." He admitted.

"I am! I can't be anymore safe than I am! I pilot a fortress, Yzak! I am more than fine." I said, trying to reassure him.

"Anyway... if that thing were shot at Earth... the extreme radiant energy would burn crisp the Earth's surface, wiping out all forms of life." Said the Kusanagi's chief engineer.

"Do you think they'll fire it... at Earth?" asked Murrue, in a silent trance.

"Essentially, the purpose of long distance weapons of mass destruction... is their effectiveness as a deterrent. However, in this case, they've already been used. Both nuclear weapons and _that_. At this point, neither side will hesitate to use them again." Said Cagalli's protector, Ledonir Kisaka.

"The first time I shot someone in battle... I shivered. But I was told I would get used to it... and I did." Said Waltfeld, shame heard in his voice.

"So you mean it's the same with that and the nuclear weapons?" asked Murrue.

"People have the ability to adapt. Even with battles and killing. _"Nobody can do anything about it! For the world full of hatred is engulfing the universe!" _Le Creuset's voice echoed in my mind and I tried to shake it off but it wouldn't end... his evil laughter and his arrogant smirk... _"You are the world's most destructive being!" _His harsh words crawled under my skin and it infuriated me to know that he affected me so much. "Are you okay, Kim? You're shivering." Said Yzak, his hand on my arm. "I'm fine. I was daydreaming... it was more like a nightmare actually..."

"We must stop this... We must prevent those things, the nukes and the Genesis to make contact... or it will be the end of all of us..." said Kira, filled with sadness.

"Let's get happy, people; the only that is in our favor is the fact that it cannot fire consecutive shots. My guess... is that they have to change the 'mirrors' every time it's fired." I said, trying to ease the atmosphere. "Nice one, Kim." Said Yzak, smirking.

"The real pain in the ass here is that we'll eventually, no matter how hard we try to evade it, end up fighting against the Jachin Due's forces. They're defense is quite heavy... Though we'll have the Earth Forces behind us... this won't be piece of cake, guys." Said Andrew, whipping the sweat off his face.

"... How long before they replaced the mirrors?" asked Murrue.

"Is the second target of that thing the Moon? Or... is it..." whispered Andrew, lost in thoughts.

"The Earth Forces will attack with nuclear weapons again, right?" asked Kira, facing Murrue.

"Surely, yes..." But she was interrupted by Miriallia's voice ringing in the cockpit.

"The Earth Alliance's forces fleet as begun their assault! All vessels prepare to takeoff! I repeat: all vessels prepare for takeoff!" I looked at Kira and Yzak put his hands on my shoulders.

"I don't want you to pilot anymore..." he whispered in my ear. "That sounds nice... But I don't have a choice." I said back. We headed for the elevator and Athrun and Cagalli followed us, Lacus asking to be alone with Kira. The sliding doors of the elevator closed and Cagalli couldn't escape a very loud thought. "Is he _ever _going to make a move?" Athrun contented himself with silence and Yzak shook his head like 'Who do you think you're fooling?' and I just looked at the ground with a smile on my face. We got off on the second level and we followed Athrun and Cagalli until Yzak yanked my arm and pulled me closer to the wall. "Hey, what's up with..."

"You just be quiet! He's finally going to make a move!" he whispered, pulling me closer, hiding our bodies from view. I looked at Athrun and he seemed nervous, like he was waiting for something. "Well, I have to go: they finished the preparations for the Strike Rouge. I'll see you later!" Cagalli said to Athrun, ready to walk away.

"_You're going?_ Strike Rouge?" he asked, incredulous.

"What's the matter? I've received sufficient Mobile suit training for this. I'm a lot better than the Astray pilots!" she said, almost insulted.

"What a prick! What is he doing, dissing my sister like that...!" Yzak's hands rushed over to my mouth and shut my trap. "Yeah... but...!" continued Athrun, lost for words. "The things we can do... the things we want to do and should do... they're the same for all of us, right? For you, for Kim, for Kira, for Lacus...and for me."

"Cagalli..."

"Sure, there are times when it's useless to go out to the battlefield and fight... but right now is kind of necessary!" she said, her voice soothing. Athrun gave her the almost pleading puppy eyes and she frowned. "Don't look at me like that. You take a lot more risk out there than I do. _I won't let you die_."

"Cagalli..."

"I won't let Kira, who is accidently my little brother, die either, and my older sister Kim, for a fact."

"Older sister...? But I thought..."

"I noticed how mature she's become... way more than me anyway. Plus, I talked it over with Kira and we decided that the first one to get married is the eldest. Since she's already engaged to Yzak... She has the throne." She said, smirking.

"...You're right." He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him, making the poor innocent blond girl madly blush. He softly pulled her in a warm embrace and Yzak and I almost gasped, overexcited. "He could at least kiss the girl! _Talk about cheap romance!"_ I whispered to Yzak, who shushed me up.

"I'm lucky to have met you...Cagalli." he said, his voice like velvet.

"Athrun..." was all she could manage to say. He slowly let her go and looked in her eyes, not leaving her gaze. "He's going to do it...!" I whispered, budging Yzak's arm. He grunted in annoyance and listened.

"I'll... I'll protect you." He said, his strong, masculine voice sending shivers up Cagalli's spine. He slowly lowered his head and grabbed with his lips Cagalli's mouth. "Oh my God! He's so romantic...! I can't believe this!" I said, looking at Yzak. "What do you mean, _he's so romantic_? Are you actually jealous of Blondie?" he asked, turning me around to face me.

"I'm not jealous; I'm simply saying that this kind of kiss is appreciated!"

"So you're saying I'm not romantic _and_ that I don't kiss like Athrun?"

"_I never kissed Athrun, Yzak, you dumbass_! He's my _sister's_ **boyfriend**! I'm saying that romance is nice and that things like 'I will protect you' warm a woman's heart! You can be such an idiot sometimes!"

"I kiss _a hell lot_ better than Athrun does. I say all the nice things he can say to a woman and plus, I fuck nice." He said, smirking proudly.

"Oh, _you pompous oaf!_ We did not fuck, we made love! There's a freaking difference! Fucking is like horses mating and making love is about passion and trust!" I nudged his arm and he kicked my foot. "Fine, I made love to you! I can still be the greatest man in the world! I gave you a ring too!"

"When you gave me that ring, you NOT ONLY did kiss me; you told me not to cheat on you! How friendly is that? God, I feel so good knowing you don't trust me! That's a nice reminder of what our lives will be: DON'T YOU FUCK ANOTHER ONE BUT ME!"

"THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF HAVING A FIANCEE!"

"Hey, guys! You should stop it, now." Said Athrun. I gasped and Yzak 'ugh'. "I mean, it's funny and all but really, you should stop arguing over my sake... and for your information, Yzak... I have a gentler touch... You will never match the softness of my kiss." Said Athrun, making me blush and making Yzak growl.

"Oh yeah! Well I can french kiss better than you, Zala." He said, fighting against his own teammate. "Maybe, maybe not. Shall I try it on Kim, perhaps?" I yelped and pushed my body away from the two idiots. "Hell no, Athrun!"

"_All hands to level one battle station! I repeat: all hands to level one battle station: both sides have engaged battle! All pilots to the hangars!"_

Athrun grunted and ran to the lowest level of the Eternal, to his Justice. Yzak grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him, like it was the last time in the era we'd ever share an embrace again. "If you die out there, I'll be very miserable." He said, putting his head on my shoulder, tightening his grip on me.

"I won't die, I already promised you that. I'm not accustomed to lying." We stayed like that until Kira came running towards us, grabbing my arm. "We have to go, Kim!" I nodded and let go of Yzak's hand, leaving the teenage boy alone, in a long corridor. Kira and I ran to the elevator and descended silently downstairs. Before the door opened, he quickly hugged me and I returned the embrace softly. "I have a feeling this is not over. That I'll see you again afterwards." He said, a soft smile on his lips.

"I have a feeling we'll all see each other again, when this is over."

We didn't have time to lose: the battle has long begun and I ran the flight of stairs leading to the Vengeance's cockpit. I jumped in the hut and started the engine, feeling the buttons under my touch. "You have done so well for everyone that piloted you... Don't let me down." We waited a bit for the Strike Rouge to be completely assembled and prepared and saw Cagalli outside, waiting for the finishing touches. **Don't you die on me... little sister. **"You guys know the task to do, right? We'll try as hard as we can to stop that Genesis and to ensure protection to the ships. Got it?" asked Mu, boarding the Strike.

"We're professionals: we don't fuck up, pops." Replied Yzak, also climbing in his machine.

"...Kid. Your hair cut is nice." The older man replied, making Yzak smirk in pride and victory. **And men will be men... always. **"Look, old man! You're woman is coming to see you." Said Yzak, spotting Murrue on the deck, hovering to the Strike. Mu opened his cockpit and descended quickly, letting him be embraced by his Captain. "I thought you wouldn't make it... that I was too late..."

"What is it, silly?" he asked, noticing the memorial necklace around her neck. He quickly grabbed it in his hand and closed his eyes, regretting what he just said. "...Was he a Mobile armor pilot?" She stayed silent for a brief moment and nodded. "Y-Yes..." Commander LaFlaga smirked and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry! I'll be back in a zip. And with victory in hand." He leaned down and kissed her rose lips, making the woman captain shiver. _"Vessel detected at Orange 25, Mark 12, Alpha! It's the Dominion! Prepare to launch!" _Murrue let go of Mu and returned to her position, in the control room. "Let's go, Mu! We don't have time!" said Kira, watching Mu get back in his cockpit.

"LaFlaga, Strike, taking off!"

"Dearka Elsman, Buster, taking off!" One by one, they launched, leaving Kira, Athrun and I for last. Yzak passed before my eyes and I smiled, knowing he would be alright, along with Dearka. The real worry was about Cagalli, her inexperience making us, especially Athrun, nervous.

"Strike Rouge, taking off!" I could feel Athrun's anxiety from y cockpit and established communication with the Justice. "She'll be fine...you know her."

"Yeah... I'll make sure of that. Athrun Zala, Justice, taking off!" The red N-Jammer canceller Mobile suit was ejected from the hatch and it was now my turn. I was put on the elevating platform and ready to eject. "Kim Desjardins, Vengeance, let's do this!"

Outside, Athrun and I waited for Kira to take off and he was almost as soon ejected from the hatch, last in line, ready to fight. "Wait here, guys! They'll eject the METEOR's." Said Kira, waiting for the Eternal to send the metal fortresses out for a lift off. From each side of the pink Nazca, three engines we pushed in space, in our direction. I let the METEOR click on the Vengeance's back and felt its weight again. I pressed on my speed pedal and flew as fast as lighting to the battlefield, Kira and Athrun not far behind. The Vengeance, as soon as we got in the field, detected an enormous source of heat. "What's this?" I asked. Knowing the answer, I tried to establish communication with Yzak, but in vain.

"Why aren't you answering, Yzak? Damn it!"

"No, this can't be!" Athrun's voice echoed in my cockpit as I looked in the distance, the Genesis firing another death beam in front of us. "Not again!" The light was so blinding that even the Vengeance and I were immobilized. This shot was way more powerful that the last one and its light were more blinding than ever. I looked on my monitor and directed the beam to its target. **The moon! They aimed it at the moon!**

"Kira! They aimed it at Ptolemaeus Crater! It's the lunar base!" screamed Athrun, his nerves running out.

"Look out! They're coming!" The ZAFT Elites and their GINNs were firing all over the place as a sign of victory over the Earth Alliance, having destroyed their second most powerful and influential base after Alaska. _"If that thing is fired at Earth, it's all over!" _screamed Andrew Waltfeld, inside the Eternal. His message was sent to all of our support, along with all of the Mobile suits on the field. I could see the displayed red dots on my monitor and prepared the METEOR to fire. "Here they come." I pressed the firing button on my main lever and the METEOR shots hundred of projectiles and beams towards my targets being anything that attacked me and my Mobile suit.

_"We have orders to go get the Genesis! Don't slack off now, kids!"_ screamed the Captain of the Eternal, his harsh voice bringing us back to reality.

"Kira! Athrun! Everyone! Let's stop Genesis!" Lacus's voice echoed in the communication system and everyone took their orders. I looked around and saw strange little pods flying past us, in the direction of the PLANTs. **Oh no! Those are...! **"Kira, Athrun! These are Nukes! They're aiming at the PLANTs again!"

"We won't let them!" **Athrun...**

"Let's get them before this turns very ugly again!" **Kira...**

**In order to help the people I love... I need the SEED! **An overwhelming waved of power washed over me and I pressed on the speed pedal, making the Vengeance fly onwards at the speed of sound. I could see very distinctly the Nukes being released from the Mobile armor transporting them, aimed at the hourglass shaped objects called PLANTs. I wouldn't let them get away with this. I pressed on the firing button again and aimed my beams at the flying nuclear ticking bombs, making them exploded into bright flashes of radiation. "Arghh!"

Yzak's grunt reached to my ears and I turned around, see the Duel behind me, attacked by the infamous Raider.

"Yzak! What are you doing here?" The Raider is right behind you! Oh no you don't!" Clotho had taken out the Raider's spike ball and readied it to be fired at the Duel's back. I quickly grabbed the cord and cut in with a blade, making the Raider's pilot furious.

"Why you, ignorant little scum bitch! I'll get you today!" I pushed Yzak out of the way and punched the Raider in the face, making the pilot even angrier than before. "I'LL KILL YOU!" I didn't have time to mess with this scumbag so I took out my laser blade and cut the right hand away, making the right arm useless. I reached to Yzak and tried to calm him down. "How he called you! Unforgivable!"

"Never mind him... He's really... Look!" I pointed the Vengeance index towards the distance, to the Archangel. The Dominion, coming up the fronts, had deployed the Gottfried, ready to fire it at the white legged ship's cockpit. **No! Not this! No! **The beams reached the Archangel's sides violently and it had stopped moving. "They're done for! Do something, someone!" I screamed out of panic, Yzak's Duel warping its arms around me. **They won't make it... Wait... don't say that... Murrue's the captain... She'll be fine... After all, she pilots the best ship of them all. **Destruction surrounded our Mobile suits as GINN and Strike Daggers exploded around us, making the air around them brighten in deep pink shades.

"Kim! This is Cagalli! We've reached the defensive troops of Jachin Due!" he voice brought me back to the real world and Yzak let go of me. "That's good. I will take care of the remaining forces behind you, the Kusanagi and the Eternal." The Duel suddenly punched me back down and his back was fired by the Raider multiple times, sending Yzak into a paralysed trance. "Yzak!"

"_Why are you fighting so desperately?_ How can you find a valuable reason to do what you do?" screamed Clotho, taking all of his rage on the Duel, Yzak still resisting. "I have something to protect! Kim! Go!" I nodded and flew away, leaving my fiancée behind. "Don't you die on me."

"Kim! Go protect Cagalli!" screamed Athrun, his hands full with the Calamity. I flew towards the Strike Rouge and pushed the Forbidden away, cutting half of his scythe in my path. "This is my battle, not yours!" screamed the Shani, the pilot, out of whack. I flew to the Strike Rouge but didn't have time to react: the green Mobile suit sneaked from behind and shot down my shield, making the Vengeance tremble in a cloud of smoke.

"I finally got you! I did it! I... did... What? Arghh!" My laser sword pierces through the thick armor and slashed apart the Forbidden's cockpit, making the Earth Alliance's Mobile suit exploded into millions of pieces. I took my breath and flew higher, sending the METEOR beams against the GINN and the Strike Daggers at the same time, making dozens of them explode.

"Kim! Behind you! _It's the Raider_!" Breathe in... Breathe out... I saw the diming light of this Raider's sword and closed my eyes, buying enough time to pray that Yzak's life should be protected by almighty somewhere, somehow.

"Not my girlfriend, bitch!" The Raider exploded into pieces as the destruction wind whipped on the Vengeance's body. When the cloud of smoke cleared away, the Duel's damaged body reached to me and I quickly grabbed it in the Vengeance's arms, my anxiety regaining a normal level. "Yzak!"

"It was time for me to save your life... once in _my_ life." I smiled and looked in the distance to check on the Archangel. This was strange: the Dominion had completely stopped from moving! Life pods were sent in the direction of the white legged ship. "What's going on there?" I asked, Yzak looking at the Dominion. "The Dominion's crew is abandoning ship! What's the meaning of this?" The Dominion's Lohengrin fired and I screamed, knowing the Archangel wouldn't make it out of this. _"NO!"_

But the beam was stopped... by the Strike! It was standing there, blocking the beam! "WHAT'S HE DOING?"

"_Remember? I can make the impossible possible!"_

**Commander...!** The Strike, in a matter of seconds, exploded and completely disintegrated in an explosion of sacrifice. "...Mu..." I couldn't control the amount of tears escaping my eyes anymore. The Archangel aimed at the Dominion with its own Lohengrin and...fired. The beam reached the cockpit and the ship exploded along with the rest of the people inside it. The Dominion, like a fallen ship should, exploded in a spectacular light. I looked at the Archangel, its right side completely destroyed. "It needs help!"

"We don't have time to save the Archangel now! We have to destroy Genesis!" screamed Yzak, holding the Vengeance's hand. I felt this sudden feeling... I recognized this feeling... This man... I knew who was the responsible for this knowing...

"Yzak, you go. I have unfinished business to attend. I won't be alone, don't worry. Kira will be here with me. Go find Dearka and destroy Jachin Due..."

"Are you crazy? I won't leave you here! Alone!" he said.

"You go. I have... old feuds to settle with Le Creuset."

"What's Le Creuset have anything to do with this?" he asked, incredulous.

"This is the feeling I had when I first met him... I know it's him and he's coming. I don't want you to see this. Go find Dearka." I replied.

"But...!"

"This is an order!"

He quickly let go of the Vengeance and departed to rejoin with the group. **I know you're coming, Kira... I can feel you. **As I foretold, the Freedom has arrived beside me and I looked at the Gundam's cockpit. "Kira, you felt it too, right?"

"Yeah... I know it's him."

"I say... we destroy him. Everyone must be accepted in this world... but pure evilness like him shouldn't taint the rest of this place we call home anymore. He doesn't deserve to die because of what he is but because of what he believes in: chaos."

"You're completely right."

"Kira... Mu sacrificed himself to save the Archangel... he protected it from a death beam from the Dominion..."

"I have heard the news from Cagalli... Kim, let's do this for the sake of everyone... for this world." Said Kira, preparing the Freedom's METEOR system. "He's coming."

"There he is! Let's go get him!" The Mobile suit that was approaching the Archangel was not a model I recognized. It looked like an N-Jammer Canceller prototype as well and the body looked like the Freedom and the Vengeance combined, but with a mysterious star-like shape Aile pack. **Is that... the DRAGOON System I see on that damn Mobile suit or is it just my imagination?**

"You go behind him, Kim! I'll attack from his front side! When I tell you to hit, you hit, got it?" asked Kira. "Of course! I'm all ready for him..."

But we weren't the first one to have detected Le Creuset: it seemed that Yzak and Dearka had taken a step forward and started an assault on him. The Buster, equipped with heavy Valiant positron cannons, was shooting in the dark Mobile suit's direction. I researched the model on the Vengeance's data base and only obtained the name "Providence". I sent the data over to the Freedom and let Kira read. "It's equipped with a powerful fortress system as well..." he whispered.

"We must be very careful."

Dearka, even as Elite of the ZAFT forces, was having difficulty with this so called GUNDAM Providence. None of his shits had landed and Le Creuset was quickly catching up to him. The star-like shaped mobile armour Aile pack suddenly detached from the Providence's silhouette and aimed in the Buster's direction.

"The DRAGOON! Kira! Do something! It's going to pulverize him!" Kira sped up and launched several Lohengrin beams from the METEOR, in the direction of the Providence and Le Creuset. This gut wrenching feeling in my insides was making my skin burn and I followed Kira, also shooting in the ZAFT's Mobile suit's direction. The green positrons beams escaping from the DRAGOON were directly attacking the Buster, which was already slowed down by its heavy cannons. Dearka was having a hard time keeping up with the lighting fast DRAGOON and soon, half of the Buster was gone, exploding around its pilot.

Kira was also having trouble with the damn DRAGOON as the mobile armour sending beams at him became quickly and swifter than anything else the young Coordinator had ever experienced. "Yzak! Dearka... he's...!" But Yzak had already planned his intervention. The DRAGOON had now found a new target to pulverize into tiny pieces: me. The METEOR system, even thought it was an excellent complement to the Vengeance, was heavy on the speed and dramatically slowed my Mobile suit. The propulsion system wasn't that great in close combat but I decided to keep it on the Vengeance and to support Kira with my cannons. Le Creuset established communication with both Kira and I and we could finally hear his evil chuckles.

"You're something that shouldn't be able to exist! Both of you!" Kira lost his temper and sent the METEOR crashing against the Providence. "Blast you!" I looked behind and saw the Duel reaching for the Buster's arm and I sighed.

"Take care of him, Yzak." Now that my attention was fully directed towards this battle, my movements were sharper and quicker than I expected. Le Creuset, speaking to Kira, completely lost his patience and exclaimed: "If people hear of you, they'll want to be exactly like you!"

I decided to stay low and to fly under the battlefield so I could reach to the Providence incognito, from behind. Kira was now left alone with Le Creuset, assault by both the Providence and the DRAGOON system. He tried everything to escape from this infernal attack: Lohengrin beams, Hell darts, Valiant cannon beams, and nothing would break neither the Providence nor its small mobile armor defense. I could clearly see that Kira was in grave difficulty, Le Creuset landing hits on its METEOR. _"And that's why your existence should not be permitted!"_

"You're the one who shouldn't exist!" I slashed with my laser blade three of its mobile armor assault system and cut through the Providence's Aile pack from behind, taking Le Creuset by surprise. Kira's METEOR was now heavily damaged, hit by multiple slashes caused by the DRAGOON. "Still... let me make it very clear! My strengths aren't the only thing that makes me who I am!"

"Yes... and who's going to believe that? _You_ think _they'll_ understand? _They won't understand! __**Nobody will!**__" _Le Creuset took out his laser sword and stabbed the Freedom's METEOR on the side, Kira having no other choice but to let it go and let it explode in space. The pods travelling to the Archangel were now passing under us and I looked on Le Creuset, analyzing what he would do next. "It's been a while, Kim! I supposed you heard what Kira and I were discussing about?" he asked, like nothing happened.

"Of course I heard you piece of shit! I heard everything!"

"Well, why aren't you confused? Why aren't you ashamed of what you are? I know Kira is, so why aren't you feeling like shit?" he asked, pushing me with the Providence's arms. I pushed back, making the Vengeance resist under the other Mobile suit's weight.

"Because I know what I am and I accept it!" This seemed to anger the man even more. "You'll never understand what complexity you really are! Because of you, the world has to suffer!" I punched the Providence in the cockpit and Le Creuset suddenly stopped.

"You're the one at fault! Everyone belongs where they feel best in this world! Scum like you shouldn't dictate!" I could hear his murderous chuckles in my ear and I saw the Providence's arm reaching for a rifle, aiming right at the pod below us. Kira had already flown lower to go to its rescue and Le Creuset shot nonetheless.

"Kira! Block!" Listening to his gut, the Freedom quickly took out its shield and blocked the beam with skill. He paused for a moment and I looked behind him, gasping. "The DRAGOON! Kira!" But it was too late. The small armor pierced through the lifeboat with a powerful beam and it exploded into a deep cloud of smoke, making the people inside burn to crisp.

_**"FLAY!"**_ My brother's voice echoed in my cockpit and I turned around to face the Providence, pissed as hell. **"You'll regret this!" **But that damn freak had no intention of fighting me.

"Even I won't lower myself as to fight with _you_." Was all he said before flying away.

"Don't you escape on me, you sick fuck! COME BACK HERE!" I pressed on the speed pedal to the floor and the propulsion system of the METEOR provided me with the strength and swiftness to reach to Le Creuset...thought he had an advantage that I did not have: more time.

I closed my eyes and stopped for a moment, my heart beat too rapid for me to continue. _"Even I won't lower myself as to fight with you." _I took a deep breath and let the commands go, my hands reaching for my eyes. Tears escaped from them as I repeated his words in my head over and over again. "What... What am I, really? I'm a monster...! He's right... I don't deserve to live amongst the humans... for I am not one or another..."

"_And who do you think you're kidding with that, Kim?"_ His voice echoed in my head but I wasn't sure how to react... After all, it has been some time since I've heard this voice... I stopped breathing to hear what the man's voice was saying, but it seemed to have stopped. "Who... Who are you?" I asked, unsure of how to respond to this situation.

"_Who am I? Come on! I've been gone for a short while and you dare to forget me? What have you become, Kim Desjardins?"_ he said in a dramatic voice.

"Damn it! Why are you talking to me and I demand to know who you are!"

"Damn girl, calm down, will you? Are you sure you don't remember me?" he said, his voice sounding exactly like... like... **This can't be! He's... he's dead...! **"Is that... you, Seth?"

"_Hey, you took a hell of a long time, Kim! Have you forgotten about me __**already**__? Why are you... Oh no! __**Don't cry**__! You know I hate it when you cry!"_

"But... I am so happy you're here..."

_"Well, technically, I'm not really here... I'm in your head, in your memories."_ He said. His presence felt reassuring, like it was needed from my body for too long. I could feel his embrace around my waist and I tried to hug it back but to only catch air in my arms. _"I told you I'm not here. You can only hear me."_

"Seth...! I am so ashamed! I let you die for me and I never shouldn't even imagine..."

"_Are you crying again? Kim, I'm dead because it's my choice. I made the choice to protect you and look at my decision: you're fighting in the most powerful Mobile suit that mankind has built and you've grown to be much more capable than I envisioned. I am glad I permitted that to happen. Don't cry over what I chose for myself. I am glad where I am. Since I'm all around you now, I can protect you in the best way I can. You have friends now to count on and they have you to count on too. By the way, __**what the hell**__ are you doing with this psycho, Yzak?"_

"He's... he's... Oh, what the hell...! He's my fiancé, now. We... I understand him more than you can imagine... and he understands me... And he saved my life multiple times already..."

"_And so you're going to marry him...?" _asked Seth, incredulous.

"I guess so... but not now... Not when all of this shit is happening around us. In a sense, I'm glad you didn't get to see what we went through since you died... It's been nothing but carnage... but I survived... And my friends have survived..."

"_You see? I haven't been missing a thing, really. I am in peace now... More than I ever was before... And that's because of you. I can finally breathe without having to feel this pain in my chest. I am not a soldier anymore... but I live through the people around you. Especially your brother, Kira."_

"I always know you were kind of like him and that he resembled you in many ways... Wait! How come you know he's my brother?"

"_I told you: I am all around you. I know what you are, Kim. This Le Creuset man... he's not right about you. He's reading you the wrong way. It's not because you're different that you're odd, it's because you're the kind of person that accepts who you are and to live with it the best you can. That is what's freaking him out: he doesn't like people with clear conscience like you. He likes them weak in the mind and in the spirit so that he can make them believe his garbage lies and manipulate them as he wishes, like the ZAFT Chairman, Zala. __**You are worth it**__. You are worth 150% more than anything in the whole wide world. Even death. That is what he's scared the most... because he's all alone and you're not anymore." _He said, his deep voice caressing my ears.

"Is that... true?"

"_I've never said anything truer than this. Why don't you go kick his ass for me, hm? How does that sound? I bet you can stick his title right up his scrummy bosom, Commander Desjardins?"_

"You bet I can. I am ready... more than _ever_!" Seth vanished and left inside of me this urge to do my best, this feeling of invincibility. I closed my eyes and let this rush pump through my veins, letting this wave of hope crash into me. When I reopened my eyes, the Freedom was waiting for me, Kira, smiling.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

"Hell yeah."

I looked on my display screen and saw the two small white dots on it. **The Eternal and the Kusanagi... He's aiming for them!** I quickly grabbed my laser swords and made the crucial decision to leave behind the METEOR. I unclipped it from my Aile pack and could feel the lightness of the Vengeance again.

"Now it's time to show you that you will eventually have to lower yourself... and to kneel before me, asshole, for I shall be the one to destroy you!" When I finally reached to the Kusanagi, Le Creuset had already stated his assault with the DRAGOON, taking the two ships by surprise. "Damn you!" I swung my sword in the Providence's direction, missing. Kira, on the other hand, shot beams in his direction, Le Creuset still standing strong, his laughter echoing in our ears.

"This is our destiny! It's a path you took knowing where it was headed! Don't blame me for killing you, Kim! You should've died long ago, like it was planned! But you defied even your own nature and survived! You aren't lucky! You aren't hope, but merely an illusion that this is working out for you! This is what you life for! You have no reason to live anymore!" He took out his laser sword and slashed a part of my Aile pack, sending me backwards.

"She deserves to live! _She's worth it!_" Kira's words resembled so much like Seth's... that I had no more doubts about him being alive around me anymore.

"Shut up!" I took out the Vengeance's double headed rifle and shot beams towards the Providence, Kira on its tail.

"People have faith in justice and hide from problems they don't understand! They never learn, never bother to ask! This is what lies at the end of the path! There is no longer any way of stopping it. And humans will become instinct! Like they should! And I will start with you, _half breed!" _The Province pushed me around and Kira wasn't able to break the lock because of the DRAGOON. I tried to release his grip from the Vengeance's arms, but he was too strong and I let the Vengeance in a free fall.

"_She deserves to live!_ _She's worth it!_" **Kira...**

"_**You are worth it**__. You are worth 150% more than anything in the whole wide world. Even death. That is what he's scared the most... because he's all alone and you're not anymore." _**Seth... I won't let you down.**

"The difference between you and I... is that I am understood! I am not alone anymore and I can count on myself even more from now on!" I kicked Le Creuset out of my way and slashed another two mobile armor units on his back with my laser sword, the Providence backing up.

"We are always alone." He replied, about to leave.

"I deserve to battle you as well, Le Creuset so don't you fuck off on me again! I maybe am neither the perfect Coordinator nor the perfect enemy to begin with but I deserve a shot so fight me!" I took out the second laser blade from the Vengeance's equipment and waited for an answer.

"Why shouldn't I give the chance to live since your own father wanted you dead?" **Oh, that's a cheap say you'll regret.**

"My father tried to save me, _remember_? He implanted Kira's genes inside me to keep my heart beating. If I remember correctly, _you're_ the one with the hating father who cloned his own child, am I right? He wouldn't have made you the way you are if he ever did love you, correct?" There was a silence in the communication system and Le Creuset wasn't talking very loud now.

"**Am I right? **You're the one who's hated by your own parents! Why should I be like you? Unlike the being you are, I had family; I have friends and a lover. I don't see why I should be concerned by your ill sayings!"

"No... not true... not true...!" His raspy voice was now heard and he seemed to have realised his own premises and he was now bombarded with them.

"You think people are like what you say: full of hate? I don't see that!" I flew to the Providence and punched it away, making its dark body tremble under the pressure. Le Creuset seemed to have knocked away from his daydreams and came back to reality. "...How are they not like that? What's your proof? What do you believe in and why do you believe in such shit?" He sent a beam on the Vengeance's leg and I felt it explode under its weight, making the Mobile suit tremble.

"Because you were brought up not knowing anything else!" Kira had liberated himself from the DRAGOON and kicked the Providence in the back, destabilizing its pilot. While I tried to stabilize the Vengeance, Le Creuset now addressed himself to my bother in utter confidence.

"Of course people know nothing else! People only really know about _themselves_!" Le Creuset slashed through the Freedom's Aile pack and pushed Kira around while he sent the DRAGOON on my side. I evaded the hits and felt like crawling through a spider web. I looked at Jachin Due and saw life boats spreading from the core into space. **What's happening? Why are the forces retreating from the area?** I tried to communicate with Cagalli and Athrun but nothing would work. I had to endure the DRAGOON long enough to land the fatal hit to Le Creuset and to end this war. Le Creuset snickered evilly and laughed his heart out, still pounding on Kira.

"No matter what happens now, I've won anyway! When Jachin Due self-destructs, Genesis will fire!" **Jachin Due is going to self destruct! And the Genesis will fire as well? This is horrible!**

"There's no way left to stop it! Earth will burn and the ensuing tears and screams will trigger new battles!" Le Creuset seemed to have reached his final string on the sanity chart. I looked down and saw Cagalli and Athrun flying towards the Genesis facility, their Mobile suit on the last strand of speed. "Athrun, Cagalli!"

"This is a day of revelation for everyone!" Kira's Mobile suit now ready to crumble as the Freedom lost parts in the air, shot by the Province's DRAGOON. I looked at the conic part of Genesis and closed my eyes to think, leaving my Mobile suit to be his target. **He's not going to do it. He's a chicken shit, for all I know. He wouldn't dare to create a massive nuclear explosion. **Kira finally landed a hit and sent Le Creuset flying backwards, madder than ever.

"You are also part of their results! Both of you!" He beamed away Kira's Freedom's right arm and Kira was about to take out his last stand with the laser blade when I came crashing down on the Providence's back, making Le Creuset unable to move.

"What the hell are you doing, you bitch!" he screamed, squirming the Providence in any way possible.

"Don't you even try to destroy the Vengeance. You wouldn't want that, trust me." I grasped the body harder and pulled it away from Kira with great speed, dragging the Providence along for a ride. "There's a world I want to protect and damn, you ain't going to have it for yourself!" My words seemed to have shocked him and I continued pulling harder on the Providence, Kira slowly following from behind.

"Kim, what are you doing? You're too close from Genesis, you'll...!" I could see the final mirror of that damn invention and I looked at it, seeing the reflection of the half mutilated Vengeance in the representative object. I could see Captain DuFlamme and Seth, pulling with me and I could feel the heat emanating from the mass destruction weapon. "Let me... GO!" I closed my eyes and pushed Le Creuset where I wanted him to land and simply said:

"You're free now. Free from hate, free from pain..." Genesis, activating the auto destruct system, exploded in thousands of clouds of smoke and I pressed on the speed pedal, through the floor and felt like time wasn't fast enough, like it didn't help me escape. The Genesis shot the deadly ray of its light beam and crushed Le Creuset to infinite bits and pushed me away with violence, also hitting part of the Vengeance. The metallic body was savagely thrown away, making my head tumble on the cockpit's roof. When the explosion finally stopped, calm returned to normal and I could hear the deep silence of space. **It's... It's over... finally... I am... done.**

I was about to close my eyes when Birdie's voice came to wake me up from my slumber, its little beak knocking on my cockpit's door. When I pressed the button to open it, Kira's head appeared, along with Cagalli's and Athrun's, in my hatch. I slowly floated towards them, blinded by tears. "Kim!" I could feel their arms wrapping around me and I hugged them back, their eyes also full of tears.

**I looked to the stars and told myself that I finally understood: we all belong together... in this world... No matter how different we are... And that what makes us believe in the good...**


End file.
